Above and Beyond
by SuddenlySandi
Summary: Bella lives underground as a slave to the above ground people. She is wiped of all memories when she is returned to her people. Will she remember the man she loves? All human
1. Chapter 1 thru 3

_Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight Characters. _

1 **Forgetting**

I woke up lying on a floor of dirt. My body ached and I stared up at the rock ceiling above me. I couldn't remember what had happened to me, or who I was, but something felt wrong about the situation I was in. I rolled to my side and groaned as I felt the stiffness in my joints.

I was in some sort of cave but there was light coming from somewhere, as if the walls illuminated softly in the darkness. I stood and reached up with my arm to hold onto the rock above me. I was wearing a dirty shift dress; it was stained and smelled horribly. I didn't have on shoes so I took careful steps across the ground. I walked from the small alcove into a larger cave area. A loud noise sounded and water shot out from a high cliff and a beautiful waterfall poured into a pond.

I dipped in just my toe and felt warm water. I quickly pulled off the filthy dress and walked into the heated water to soak. I went under and felt the soothing water sting the cuts on my face. I floated peacefully until I noticed a bag with a towel and soap next to a bush.

I didn't stop to wonder how it got there; I instantly soaped up my body and hair in case the fortuitous articles disappeared. I walked over to the edge and got my dirty dress to soak in the waterfall after scrubbing it with soap. After half an hour the water stopped falling and the sound of large turbines shut down.

I wrapped the towel around my nude body and backed into the small alcove as I waited for someone to come. I eventually fell asleep and woke hours later to find my dress almost dry. I put it on and began looking around, remaining as close to the pond as possible.

Trails led off in all directions, each going deeper into the cave, and all with the same strange lighted walls. I came back to the pond and looked at the large rock face of the waterfall. Something started and stopped the water, but I didn't want to chance a climb when I was so sore and tired.

I went back to the small cave and curled into a ball to wait for something to happen. I had no food and my memory was not getting any better. After several more hours a deep rumbling sound came from one of the trails. It sounded like some sort of vehicle and I wasn't sure if I should hide or step into the open.

I hugged the wall and wished I knew how to get rid of the lights. I watched a machine with large chains for wheels roll up to the water. A man got out and walked over to look at the pond. He took a deep breath and then called out, "Girl, where are you?"

I stepped slowly from my alcove and held onto the wall for support. He turned and looked at my frightened face before nodding to the seat next to his. I climbed in, too terrified to ask questions and sat still as he strapped me with a harness. He drove quickly down a passage and made so many twists and turns I couldn't keep track of where we were going.

He finally pulled in front of a large rock and held up something that made the rock disappear and a large entrance uncovered. "Go," he said and I began unhooking my harness and climbed from the ride. I walked slowly toward the tunnel and once I passed the opening the large rock reappeared and I was trapped. My heart began to race and I held onto a wall as I moved even deeper along the trail.

I could hear sounds in the distance, like laughter and music, but I wasn't sure if it was real or imagined. I was beginning to experience a terrible headache and had to stop several times to keep from vomiting in my surroundings.

I made my way slowly toward the sounds and came to a large open cavern full of people. I didn't recognize anyone and felt like I wanted to scream from fear. A girl saw me and gasped loudly. "Oh my God, Bella, you're back."

She ran up to me and hugged me tightly as she cried. She had called me Bella, but it didn't sound familiar in any way. I looked at her eyes as she sobbed and tried to remember her or this place. She finally held my face in her hands and said, "Your name is Bella, and you live here with your mother Renee, and your father Charlie. We are Cave People."

"Cave people?" I asked, having no idea what she meant.

"Yes, we escaped during the rebellion and live here as subjects of the Overlord."

"Overlord?" I asked and she nodded and pulled me by the arm down another tunnel. We came into another large cavern and I heard someone scream my name. A woman came running toward me with tears streaming down her cheeks and pulled me into her arms.

"My baby," she cried. "You were gone so long this time."

"This time?" I asked, so confused and having no idea who was crying all over me.

The woman ignored my question and pulled me toward a group of men. "Charlie," she called. "Bella's back."

A man turned to look at me and I could see something familiar in his face, but I wasn't sure what it was. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my face over and over again. "Are you okay, do you have any injuries?" he asked.

"My face hurts," I told him numbly.

"Yes, you have bruises," he said as he examined me. "But you seem in good health."

"What happened to me?" I asked. Everyone seemed to understand what was going on except for me. I wanted answers and hoped it would spur on my memory.

"Here, come sit," he said and led me to a table. I sat next to him and he held my hand as he spoke. "We are enslaved by the Overlord, and his men come and take us to serve him. When we are returned our memories have been wiped clean."

I felt a chill run through my body. I had been somebody's slave and I had no memory of it. I reached up with a shaky hand and felt the sore spots on my face, "I was beaten," I said softly.

"I don't know what happened to you, we don't know what happens to any of us," he said sadly.

"How long have I been gone?" I asked in shock.

"Nine months," he said and then pulled me into his arms again. I held him tightly, only knowing he was my father but not feeling anything for him. I wondered how long it would take me to grow to love these people again, only to be taken and have to start over.

"How old am I?" I asked and Charlie snapped his fingers and someone brought me a large book made of leather. The pages were worn and my father turned to a page and pointed at it.

"You are nineteen. You were taken for the first time at the age of ten, but this time you were gone for so long," he said as his eyes filled with tears. I looked at the book and saw my name was Bella Swan. I was the only child of Charlie and Renee, and promised to someone named Jacob Black.

I looked up at the father I knew nothing about and asked, "Who is Jacob?"

My father turned and looked behind himself at all the staring faces. He motioned to a young man and said, "Embry, go get Jacob."

"Wait," I said with panic. "Am I supposed to marry him or something?"

Charlie took my hand gently and said, "Bella, he'll understand that you don't remember him right now. This has happened before."

I relaxed at the knowledge I wouldn't have to go off with this stranger and be romantic with him. I hoped the sight of him would bring back some sort of memory, but I also worried about meeting someone I was expected to care for. Within minutes the man returned with another young man. He was tall and muscle bound, with dark skin and a wide smile.

He rushed to my side and gave me a courteous hug. "You were gone so long," he said and took my hands in his.

"That's what I hear," I said and tried to smile. I couldn't keep his gaze. He seemed friendly and kind, but it felt odd to look into the eyes of someone I was promised to and not feel anything.

He raised his hand and ran his thumb over the bruise on my cheek. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I feel fine," I told him. It was amazing how little it hurt when I had no memory of what happened.

My mother came to the table with a small basket of food. Jacob picked up some bread and spread some preserves on it and handed it to me. "Where does the food come from?" I asked.

"The Overlord supplies it," Jacob said.

"Who is the Overlord?"

"We don't know for sure, our memories are too thin. The book of life tells us we used to be inventors, doctors, engineers and farmers. We ran our own lives but lost our civilization to war. We are now slaves, but we don't know what we do for the Overlord. We are summoned and then return without memories."

"Summoned, how?" I asked.

"We're not sure. It is like something in our brain is triggered and we head to the surface. If we try to stop someone we are hit with intense pain." I could tell by the expression on Jacob's face he had tried to stop me from leaving. He knew the pain first hand because he had experienced it.

"Has anyone tried to go to the surface without being summoned?" I asked and heard the crowd murmur around me. I wasn't trying to come up with ridiculous questions, I honestly wondered if anyone had tried to escape.

"Bella, we are slaves, there is no escape. We can only hope the Overlord gets overthrown and we will be set free."

I nodded and decided to get busy eating. The food tasted wonderful and I realized just how hungry I was. I ate two pieces of bread before I asked, "Do I live with my parents?"

Jake looked at my father and they both gave each other a sideways glance. I watched them both and wondered what it was they weren't ready to tell me. Charlie finally said, "We live in a commune style, all of us together."

I continued to eat until I was full and then began looking at everything around me. The cavern had slick rock walls with dirt floors but the temperature was comfortable. We seemed to have plenty of furniture and everyone looked relatively happy and healthy. "Let me show you around," Jake said and I stood to walk with him.

He took me down various tunnels into other open caverns. There was a sleeping room, a food storage room, several bathing rooms and finally a honeycomb of smaller caves used as mating chambers. I gasped at the idea of being sent off to mate and it was then Jake explained.

"We are commanded to repopulate so the Overlord always has a big supply of slaves."

"Commanded," I said indignantly.

He looked nervous and said, "Um…yeah, at a certain age."

"How many are there of us?" I asked, because it looked like a few hundred lived here.

"There are four hundred and twenty of us, but right now forty two are up top," he looked at me and smiled, "Now forty one."

I smiled back at him and felt uncomfortable so I turned to leave. I headed back toward the gathering room, but the confusing tunnels had me so mixed up I had to stop. Jake had to give me directions over and over again. We finally joined the others and I went to my mother's side. She could tell something was bothering me and asked if I wanted to take a bath. I immediately agreed and followed her to a large pond.

Several other girls were there and when I pulled off my dress my mother took hold of my shoulders. "What's on your back?" she asked.

I tried to see what she was looking at but I couldn't see anything from over my shoulder. She moved closer and said, "It looks like there were words on your back."

"I bathed when I woke up," I told her and she nodded in understanding. "Can you make out any words?"

"It is really faded and very smudged but the words look like, _remember war_."

"What war?" I asked her but she only shrugged.

We got into the pond and Renee used soap to clean off my back. When a scraping sound could be heard the other women screamed with joy and rushed over to the cliff just as water poured over the rocks into a large waterfall.

I moved over and let the water cascade down onto me and sighed from the warm sensation it caused. I looked at my mother and she smiled at me and held out her hand for mine. I took it and we both closed our eyes and enjoyed the water.

2 **Assigned**

I dressed in a new shift my mother got for me. It was simple, with a circular neckline and no sleeves, but it hung below my knees. It was a tan color, just like everyone else had on. I followed my mother to the main room where everyone was gathered. I noticed small groups of children being taught by older women.

The men remained busy by writing. They wrote poetry and stories, texts for the children to use for school and even discussions on philosophy. I walked over to where Jacob sat and looked at the pictures he was drawing. They were simple figures which were used to tell a story. He looked up and smiled when he noticed me.

"You look beautiful," he said and my heart began to pound. Jake was handsome and I was a nineteen year old woman, but I was only reacting to him physically. I smiled and mumbled an awkward, "Thank you," before walking away.

I headed over to my father and listened to him argue over a moral ambiguity regarding the war, a war we knew nothing about and could only philosophize on. I grew bored and went back to my mother to watch her teach a young girl a song.

I listened to her sweet voice, but I didn't remember the song. The thought upset me so I moved against the wall and tried to move backward through my memories. I made it all the way to when I woke up in the cave but nothing before that moment.

A girl about my age came to sit next to me. "Hi, my name is Jessica. We are good friends."

I smiled at her but felt overwhelmed and didn't speak. It didn't keep her from talking non-stop. "You are really well liked around here; of course being promised to Jake is a total win. He is so hot, and wins all the fights. I bet…."

"What fights?" I asked her, suddenly interested.

"Oh you know, the guys get upset because they can't change anything. It always reaches a boiling point and fights break out. But Jake is a good fighter," she said to soothe me, but it only made me sad.

"Jessica, has anyone tried to escape?"

She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Stop talking like that. We can't escape, only hope for the Overlord to be killed."

"Why don't we try to escape and kill the Overlord," I said, "Not us specifically, but us as a group?"

Jessica glared at me and finally stood up to leave. "You're different," she accused and walked away.

I chuckled at her comment, because I had no idea if I was different or not. I sat and watched the people I didn't recognize interact with each other. After awhile my mother led me to the sleeping room and showed me where her and my father had a cot. I lay down next to her and soon the room began to fill with people.

My mom leaned over to speak into my ear and said, "No talking is allowed in here." I nodded and pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep. I woke several times in the night to the sound of loud snoring coming from all around the room. I couldn't take it anymore and grabbed my blanket and small pillow and left the large cavern.

I headed down a tunnel and found a small little cave to curl up in. I went back to sleep and didn't awake again until the following morning. The sound of children running down the tunnel woke me up and I headed back to the sleeping room. My mother cried out when she saw me and then her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Bella, we thought you were taken again, don't leave this room during the night."

"I couldn't sleep with all the snoring," I told her, a bit angry that she yelled at me like a child.

Jake came up and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I was terrified that you had been taken again."

"I only wanted to sleep," I said with embarrassment.

Jake nodded and then led me away from my parents a ways and said, "Bella, you can go with me to a mating chamber and sleep. I wouldn't touch you."

I could feel my face blush and wondered if I had been there with him before, but I was too embarrassed to ask him. I took a deep breath and said, "I'm sure I'll get used to the snoring eventually."

He looked hurt, not disappointed, and I had a feeling I had been with him before. I put my hand on my stomach and said, "I'm hungry."

"We're divided into colors. Today the yellows eat first and the blues are in charge of setting up the meal. We are in the green group, so we'll eat last and clean up."

"How many colors are there?" I asked.

"Seven," he replied and I nodded as if I understood.

"Jake," I said quietly and pulled his arm to take him to an empty corner, "How often are people summoned?"

"It depends, but most are gone for a couple of months at the most. You were gone the longest," he said sadly.

"And they take all ages?" I asked.

"Yes, but mostly teenagers and parents. People our age aren't taken very often because we are commanded to repopulate."

"But I was taken for nine months," I pointed out and he nodded angrily.

I tried to think it through, there had to be some reason why I would be kept for so long when it wasn't usual behavior. I worried about the possibility I wanted to stay with my captors and I could tell by the pained expression on Jake's face that he worried about it, too.

I finally asked another hard question, "What if you refuse to repopulate?"

Jake took a deep breath and looked around as if he was searching for the right words. "It isn't an option."

I laughed and then notice he was serious so I gave him a disgusted look. "Are you saying girls will be raped if they refuse?"

"They have a way to cause us pain; they can hurt you if you refuse the person you're promised to. We don't have a choice, Bella," he said and looked right into my eyes, telling me I would have to mate with him sooner or later.

"How are they controlling us?" I asked him. "Are we implanted with something?"

"We have no idea. We have looked inside the brains of those who die, but we haven't found a device or anything."

"So we're being watched at all time?" I asked and he nodded. I glanced around the room and tried to find anything that could be a camera but the walls were just slick rock that glowed. I felt totally trapped in my life as a slave, but something deep inside of me was screaming to be free, or maybe it was my desire to return to my captors? Whatever it was, it caused my heart to ache.

It was finally our turn to eat and I followed Jake into the eating hall and sat at a table with him and my parents. We ate oatmeal, toast and fruit, in silence. When everyone finished we took all the dishes off the tables and put them in a sink which automatically began to fill at just the right time. Nobody controlled the water; it just came when we needed it.

When we finished cleaning we went into the largest common room and began a very vigorous calisthenics routine. I was sweating and the dress was sticking to my body. I noticed Jake watching me and stopped working out. He pulled off his shirt and began giving extra effort since he knew I was watching.

His shoulders were broad and his abs were rippling with muscles. I began to imagine holding him and kissing him, so I quickly looked away. When we finished everyone began breaking off into groups. My mother took my hand and brought me with her into a room where women sewed by hand.

"It is our turn to mend the clothing," she announced and handed me a small sewing kit. I stared at it, unsure what to do so she showed me a few simple stitches. We were all working diligently when suddenly a woman stood and began walking away.

"Mary," another woman called to her but she kept walking without blinking.

"Grab the book of life," my mother yelled and someone ran from the room.

"What is happening?" I asked and my mother turned to look at me with sad eyes.

"She is being summoned; we need to document when she left so we know how long she's been gone when she returns."

I nodded and felt a bit sick to my stomach. I couldn't figure out how they controlled us if nothing was implanted into our brains. They had to have some way to watch us and control our actions, but how. I went back to my sewing as I tried to come up with a plausible deduction.

I glanced at the illuminated walls and knew they had to have something to do with it, but my own mind began to ache as I thought and thought. When lunch came I sat with my parents and Jake. An older man who resembled Jake sat next to him; I assumed it was his father. Charlie called him Billy.

When lunch was over Jake took my hand and smiled at me. "Would you like to swim?"

I nodded and followed him to a different pond than where my mother had taken me. He quickly pulled off his shirt and pants and jumped in naked. I looked around nervously and Jake laughed.

"Bella, we have gone swimming together many times," he announced and I felt my face blush.

I reached for the bottom of my dress and a horrible pain hit me right between the eyes. I gasped and grabbed my head as I fell to my knees. Jake rushed from the water and knelt in front of me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"My head hurts," he managed to cry out.

Jake looked stunned and a bit irritated. He helped me stand and then sat me against a wall. I held my head and moaned until he retrieved his pants. Once he had them on the pain stopped. I felt like nothing happened and looked up at Jake.

"It's gone," I said and his frown deepened.

He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Bella, we are assigned to be mates. I don't understand this."

"What do you mean?" I asked and felt my heart pounding again.

"We experience that pain when we are doing something wrong. If we are mates you should be able to swim with me, you have before," he said and I could hear the anger in his voice.

I stared at him for a minute and then reached up and held his face as I moved in to kiss him. As soon as our lips connected I screamed in pain and fell to my side. Jake jumped up in anger and yelled up at the ceiling. "Damn it, what's going on?" The words echoed around us as I cried.

The girl Jessica walked in with a young man holding her hand. They looked at me and Jake with surprise. I looked away and Jake walked up to the man and said, "Try to kiss Bella."

"What?" Jessica yelled. "That isn't allowed."

I felt overwhelmed by the realization of just how deeply we were enslaved. We couldn't even choose who to love. I finally stood and leaned against the wall. I refused to be controlled by pain. I was stronger than that. I reached down and pulled off my dress as pain shot through my head. I walked slowly to the water as I tried to concentrate on the warm feeling on my body.

The pain increased and I cried as I dipped my entire body under the soothing wetness. Jake approached me but remained on the edge of the pond. His pants were still on and I began to swim around as I imagined the sewing stitches I had learned this morning. Slowly the pain became tolerable and I became aware of Jessica and the other man swimming with me.

Soon Jake got in and I closed my eyes and concentrated as the pain increased. He swam up to me and put his arms around my body. I could feel his manhood brush against me and the pain shot like a lightning bolt through my brain. Everything went black and I collapsed in Jake's arms.

3 **Rebellion**

I woke up on a cot, surrounded by many people. I recognized my parents and Jake, but the others were strangers. A man felt my head and asked if I was feeling better. I nodded and tried to sit up, but many hands pushed me back down.

"You need to rest," my mother said.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked.

"We think it has something to do with how long you were gone. They had more memories to erase and it will take you longer to come back to us," my dad explained.

It sounded reasonable to me, but I could tell by the look on Jake's face he wasn't so convinced. I put on my best smile and sat up. "I'm feeling fine, really I am," I said confidently. I reached out for Jake's hand and ignored the small amount of pain beginning to build.

Jake smiled back at me and took a deep breath. "Are you hungry?" he asked and I shook my head up and down. We walked together to the eating area and he sat me at a table as he left to get me some food. The pain stopped immediately and I felt terrified. I hated the idea of being controlled so easily.

Jake returned with a plate of food and I looked down as my stomach growled. I reached for a chip and then stopped. All of our needs were met by the Overlord, and that meant our food supply. It would be the perfect way to add something into our bodies if it was needed.

I looked back at my father and asked, "How old are we when we are first summoned? You said I was ten, is that typical?"

My dad thought for a moment and said, "The boys are usually around eight and the girls about ten."

I looked back at my plate; boys would naturally eat more than girls. I pushed it away and the dull pain began to build. I pulled it back and the pain subsided. We were forced to eat, so I knew it had something to do with the control process.

I took a bite of my sandwich and then wiped my mouth with the napkin, spitting it out. I waited for the pain to hit, but nothing came. I ate just enough to keep the hunger at bay but the rest went into my napkin and into the trash.

I had no freedom at all. I was controlled in every way; what I ate, who I loved, and how I behaved. It was suffocating, but nobody else seemed to mind. They all acted happy and fulfilled with their contrived lives. I couldn't do it and began to sink further and further into depression. I ate less and less and began spending most of my time on my cot. But the biggest change was my dreams.

I wasn't sure if our dreams were controlled or not, but I dreamed of the same thing every night. A man I loved was holding me in his arms. He would say beautiful things in my ear and I wanted him so badly. My body ached for the stranger with the green eyes, but he had no name for me to call out.

I was dreaming deeply about my mystery man when someone shook me fervently. I jumped and looked up at Jake's worried face. I sat up and he took my hand, causing a dull pain in my head. "Bella, your mother has been summoned," he told me.

I jumped from the cot and ran as fast as I could toward the spot I had been dropped off. Jake ran after me, warning me to stop. I felt pain in my head but I kept running, trying to stay in front of the pain and concentrating on my mother. Jake cried out and stopped following me, his pain too bad to take.

I saw my mother approaching the rock which appeared and disappeared at will. I called out for her and she turned to look at me but didn't respond. I caught her and grabbed her arm causing her to scream and hold her head. I instantly let go and when the rock disappeared I ran through.

I was hit with such a force it took my breath away. The large man driving the transportation machine stood over me with a grim expression. He easily picked me up off the ground and threw me back into the tunnel as my mother exited.

I ran at the opening again but the rock appeared and I slammed into it with blinding pain. I beat on the rock with my fists and I screamed profanity at the Overlord I didn't know. I called him horrible, awful names and wished he would stand before me so I could say it to his face.

I finally returned down the tunnel and felt exhausted from the expense of energy. I was so hungry but I knew I was stronger mentally because I refused the food. I found Jake waiting for me with a look of fear on his face. He pulled me into his arms and only a dull ache could be felt in my head.

"God, I thought I lost you," he said and then pulled my mouth to his. The green eyes came forward in my brain but the pain was tolerable. Jake began to breathe heavily as he kissed his way to my neck. His arms tightened me as he spoke softly. "Bella, stay with me tonight. Let me carry your anguish."

"Jake, I think I fell in love with someone while I was gone. I keep feeling like I belong to someone else," I admitted. I could see the pain in his eyes that my words caused him, but he needed to hear the truth.

"It isn't possible for a slave to interact with the people above ground," he said and I gave him a questioning look. If our memories were wiped clean how would he know that?

He saw my expression and tried to explain. "We are controlled in every way. If we try to interact with the wrong person we are given pain. Mating is designed to produce the best slaves to continue their power; they would never chance a mating with us."

"Maybe I was kept so long because I got involved with someone up there, did you ever consider that?" I asked him.

He finally leaned in very close and said, "We've checked the women, they come back virgins."

"Should I be checked?" I asked him, hoping it would give me some assurance that I had not been with a man above ground. Jake looked very guilty and couldn't meet my gaze. His response told me what I needed to know.

"Oh," I said and looked away.

"You were taken soon afterwards," he said softly and I nodded. Jake and I had been intimate and I couldn't remember it. But something was causing me pain when I touched him and the green eyes had to belong to someone my heart remembered.

We walked back to the others and I found my father leaning against the wall. I walked over and hugged him, feeling sorry for a man I hardly knew. He kissed my head and held me tightly. "Hopefully, she will return soon," he said.

"Dad, was I born here?" I asked.

"Yes, sweetheart," he said but I knew it was only information he had gotten from the book.

That night when it was time for bed Jake approached me and said, "I think we should stay together tonight."

I instantly shook my head in fear. "I think I should be with my father," I said quickly.

Jake ran his hand over his forehead and massaged his temples from the pain he was experiencing. I realized he was being controlled to take me to the mating chambers. If I continued to refuse his pain would increase. I finally took his hand and headed down the tunnel. The closer we got the more intense my own pain became.

I finally stopped moving and pressed my pounding head against the cool surface of the rock wall. Jake backed away from me and the pain slowly decreased. I could finally turn and look at him. "What does this mean, Jake?"

"I don't know," he said with frustration. "It has to do with the amount of time you were gone. You seem better able to contain the pain and it intensifies when I touch you."

"I have dreams about someone with green eyes," I told him honestly.

His eyes widened and he said with shock, "You dream?"

"Don't you?" I asked him.

He shook his head and then looked around as if we were being watched. He finally leaned close to my ear and said, "Come to the mating chamber with me, but I won't touch you."

I nodded and followed him as the pain began to build. As soon as we entered the chamber the pain stopped. I looked at him with clear eyes and said, "It's gone. I don't feel any pain."

He walked slowly closer to me but nothing happened. He finally leaned over and kissed me gently, but still no pain. I looked at the small dark chamber and then gasped with realization. "The walls don't illuminate in here. They can't control us."

"You think the light controls us?" he asked and looked out into the tunnel.

"Yes, I do," I said and began pacing in the small space. "They use the pain to make sure the right couples come here, but once inside they are left alone to procreate. It makes us subconsciously desire to be here often because we are truly free here."

Jake chuckled and I looked over at him. He smiled and shook his head, "I don't think it is freedom that I like experiencing here."

I blushed and waved my hand to dismiss him. "You know what I mean," I said with shyness. "We need to try out something. We need another couple to come here and then see what happens if we enter the rooms with the wrong person."

Jake suddenly looked excited and I wondered if there was some young woman he was interested in. I felt a twinge of jealousy and quickly chastised myself for feeling that way. If Jake was falling for someone he should have the right to be with her.

He glanced at the bed and said, "I guess we should get some sleep." I climbed into the sheets and noticed how comfortable the beds were compared to our cots, another reason to come into the mating chambers. Jake climbed in next to me and turned to face me. "Can I ask you something?" he said softly in the darkness.

"Sure."

"Did you always have different feelings for me?"

I heard his sadness and felt awful for acting one way and then changing so much just because I was moving out of the Overlord's control.

"Jake, I hardly know you, but the part of you I do know is kind and sweet and gentle. Plus you are very good looking," I added.

He smiled and then turned onto his back. "You'll want me again, someday," he teased.

I couldn't tell him I wouldn't because I was figuring out how they controlled us. My focus was on freedom and not on mating with anyone. My stomach growled loudly and I turned onto my side to face the wall. I was so hungry and growing tired of the pain in my head. It would be easy to give up and let them win, but I vowed to fight. I was waging my own personal rebellion, and I wouldn't stop until my dying breath.

I fell asleep and dreamed vividly. A handsome man walked into my room and my heart began beating wildly. He placed his fingers to his lips, telling me to keep quiet and I nodded in agreement. He pulled me into his arms and he spoke softly in my ear. "Isabella, my love," he said and ran his hands over my body.

"Yes," I moaned back to him.

"Love me forever," he begged and I quickly promised I would. His hands held me firmly and his eyes widened in fear over something only he could hear. He spun me around and began writing on my back. I felt terror growing and when he kissed me hard and yelled, "Run," I held onto him tightly. "Run," he yelled again, "And don't forget. Do what I told you."

The door shot open and I turned to run as blood splattered over my entire body. I screamed as I looked around for the green eyed man, but I couldn't find him. I backed to the wall and closed my eyes as I yelled loudly into the air, "Edward!"


	2. Chapter 4 thru 6

4 **Remembrance**

I sat up in the bed as I gasped for air. Jake was trying to calm me down but my ears were ringing and I couldn't hear his words. I shut my eyes and tried to see what happened to Edward and if it was his blood covering me. I was shaking uncontrollably as Jake pulled me into his arms.

I pushed him away and yelled, "Wait, don't touch me." My mind searched and searched for Edward, but he was fading away into my dream. I began to cry as I realized I loved a man, but he was above the ground and I couldn't get to him.

I finally returned to my pillow and tried to remember what he told me in the dream. He had written on my back, _remember war._ He told me something about the war and I had forgotten. It must have been something important and possibly something that would lead to freedom, but my mind was blank.

I finally looked up at Jake. He was watching me closely and I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, I had a nightmare."

"How is it you dream?" he asked me with a voice that sounded like he was warning me.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it will fade," I lied.

"Bella, this is very dangerous," he said and I swallowed deeply.

I didn't know if I could trust Jake and was putting his own life in danger if I could. I smiled through my deceit and asked him to hold me. He smiled and pulled me into his arms, kissing my head gently until we both fell back to sleep. I wasn't sure how far I would go to keep my rebellion, along with my remembrances, a secret. I didn't love Jake, but I would possibly have to mate with him to keep us both safe. I wasn't sure I could do it.

We left the chamber and headed to the eating room the next morning. Jessica saw us enter and ran to my side with a big smile. "I'm so glad to see you and Jake together again. You are such a great couple."

I smiled and nodded as my stomach churned. I finally asked the name of her mate. "He's Mike Newton."

"Do you love him?" I asked her.

She gave me an odd look and said harshly, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, I just meant we are lucky to have mates," I said and she continued to stare at me. I finally walked away and hoped I wasn't alerting concern. I got my food and sat next to Jake. He held a spoon to my mouth and I took a bite of the yogurt. It tasted wonderful and my stomach begged me to fill it. I looked at my eggs and began the process of pretending to eat.

When we separated I headed down the long tunnel to where my mother left. I could feel the pain building but it was now so subtle it was only a nuisance. I reached the rock and felt all the way around it. It didn't have the same feeling as the rock wall. It wasn't cold to my touch.

I glanced around the tunnel and could see where a ray of light would shine down onto the rock. I raised my hand and blocked the light and the rock disappeared. I quickly ran through and the rock returned to where it was. I looked around nervously for the large man and couldn't see him.

I moved into a tunnel and had no idea where the original waterfall was located. He had driven too fast for me to remember the turns. I wandered around for hours and finally realized I felt pain when I was on the right track. I used it to make my way back to the spot I woke up at.

I stared up at the dry rocks where the water had come from and slowly began making the climb to the top. I could feel an electric current running through my body that caused me to shake as I tried to climb. By the time I reached the top I could hear a loud buzzing in my ears but I tried my best to ignore it. I felt along the rocks until I found one without the cold feel and looked for its light source. I reached up to block the light and was suddenly hit with what could only be described as a lightning bolt.

I flew into the air and then fell into the pond with a huge splash. My body ached and I was slow to react to the sinking sensation I had in the water. I finally began swimming to the top and gasped for air. The sound of the transport could be heard coming closer and closer. I remained in the water and braced myself for a beating I was sure I would receive.

The large man came into view and glared at me with hateful eyes. I moved back toward the back of the pond and he only laughed at me. "I need to see Edward," I said loudly and his expression changed to shock.

"You need to go home," he said harshly and glanced around nervously.

I stared at him for a long time and finally said, "Felix?"

He gasped and quickly grabbed something from the transport and talked into it. I couldn't hear what he was saying since I was so far away from him. I moved my back against the rocks and waited for him to turn his attention back to me. I knew his name, but I had no idea how I knew him.

He finally motioned for me to come over and sit next to him. "Will you take me to Edward?" I asked.

His jaw tightened and he gave an angry sneer. "You are property of the Overlord and nobody else," he said and got out of the vehicle.

He walked right into the water and I tried to move away from him but he was too fast. He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to the edge, easily dragging me onto the dirt. I cried out but he ignored me and picked me up by the waist and tossed me into the seat. I cried softly as he connected the harness and expected him to take me back to the movable rock. But he went forward and headed in a different direction.

We wound around the deep tunnels until we were finally blasted with bright light. My eyes shut in pain and I covered my face with my hands. I could hear loud noises but my eyes couldn't open. The sounds were loud without echoing and only when they muted could I finally open my eyes. We were inside a large building and people walked around everywhere. Nobody seemed to notice us and I wondered if they could even see me.

We arrived at a large golden door and the transport stopped. Felix got out and came around to remove my harness before pulling me painfully out of the vehicle. My legs were shaking and I could hardly stand as he heaved me through the large doors. I was tossed onto the floor in the middle of a large circular rug.

I stared at the rug for several minutes as my eyes adjusted to the light. I finally looked up to see three men standing in front of me. They looked very old and very regal. I began to back away from them on my knees but Felix stepped up to block my retreat.

"Well, well," the man in the middle said, "What have we here?

"She remembers," Felix told them.

The man's jaw tightened and he tried to hide the anger he was feeling. He looked at me with pure rage and spoke softly. "Tell me what you remember."

I shook my head, refusing to answer him so Felix spoke for me. "She wants to see Edward."

The three men looked at each other in surprise and one asked, "What do you remember about Edward?"

"Only his name," I lied, hoping I wasn't damning my unknown love by admitting something so small.

"Aro, repeat the mind cleanse," one of the men said to the man in the middle. I watched as they each stared at me, trying to come to some sort of decision.

Finally the man named Aro said, "Bring Edward."

My heart was pounding and I didn't know if I was happy or sad. I wanted to think Edward could save me from having my mind erased, but I wasn't sure if I really just got us both killed. Felix left the room and I tried to straighten my messy hair and dirty dress. I felt embarrassed by my appearance and the three men laughed loudly.

Felix returned and I saw the man walking with him. He had the face of the man in my dreams, green eyes with a strong jaw. I had the urge to run to him, but I forced myself to remain still. Edward glanced at me without any recognition and I felt my heart sink with despair.

Aro motioned for Edward to join him and placed his arm around his shoulder. "Do you recognize this slave girl?"

"Yes," Edward said confidently. "She was the decoy bride for my father."

"Ah yes," Aro said with a smile. "So she lived in your home."

Everyone stared at me and I wasn't sure if I should speak or remain quiet. I finally said, "I have dreams." All the men showed signs of surprise, but Edward's eyes narrowed as if trying to warn me. I quickly added, "I hear the word Edward, but I don't know why."

"She was a slave in our home for a long time," Edward said as if to explain why I would remember his name.

"Did you have relations with this girl?" Aro asked.

"With a slave, don't be ridiculous," Edward said with a chuckle and I began to think I had imagined him loving me.

Another man bolted into the room. He was tall and thin like Edward, but older in years. He looked terrified and rushed to Edward's side. "What do you want with my son," the man demanded of Aro.

"It seems your slave girl remembers him, Carlisle," Aro said with a disingenuous smile. Edward's father turned to look at me and then turned back to Aro with only a shrug. I had no memory of the man in front of me, who Edward said I had acted as his bride.

"She was with us a long time, much longer than the others," Carlisle said and Edward nodded in agreement.

I felt tears grow in my eyes. I had fallen in love with my slave owner's son and he found me repulsive. I wished I would have had my mind totally cleaned. I didn't like knowing I was a foolish girl who slept with one man I didn't remember, but had nothing with a man I thought I did.

They all began to discuss what to do with me. The majority thought I should have my mind cleansed again, but Carlisle offered to let me return to his home. He spoke of warring factions threatening to kill his wife and needing a slave girl to pretend she was her. I realized I had been used as a decoy to keep his wife safe.

The men spoke heatedly and I slowly backed my way to the open door. Felix was focused on the men and never looked in my direction. I got to the doorway and then turned and ran with all my might. I burst through a stairwell and ran up instead of down. When I heard others run through the door I held perfectly still. The sound of their footsteps told me they were headed down.

I quietly began my climb to the very top of the building. I put my hand on the door and turned the handle carefully and quietly. I pulled slowly, hoping I wasn't headed into the Overlord's office. I was blinded by bright light so I knew the door led to the outside. I squeezed through the opening and remained with my back against the door since I couldn't open my eyes.

I could hear strange noises all around me, noises I didn't recognize but I knew meant I was in a large city full of people. I felt my way across the door with my hands and when I reached the end of the wall I held still and tried to open my eyes.

A loud whooping sound came from underneath me and stopped somewhere in front of me. I held my hands out blindly but felt nothing. Just then I heard a high pitched voice from a woman yell, "Bella, run."

5 **Reward**

I tried to open my eyes but the light was still too bright. The voice yelled louder and told me to just run forward. I obeyed, having no idea who was calling me or where I was running. A set of strong arms grabbed me just as the ground fell out from underneath me.

I screamed and tried to fight but several voices were telling me to be calm. They spoke kindly and seemed to know who I was. I finally relaxed and allowed someone to hold me in their arms and rub my back gently.

We moved quickly in some sort of flying machine and the city noises began to fade. I still wasn't able to open my eyes and felt so totally and completely lost. We eventually stopped moving and I was helped onto a surface so I could walk. I held onto someone and was led into a dimly lit room. I opened my eyes and saw several people looking back at me.

"Are you okay?" a tiny dark haired girl asked me and I nodded. "Do you remember us?" she asked.

"I remember Edward," I said with tears and they all looked at each other and smiled. "Are you going to hurt me?" I asked them.

They all began to speak at once and promised I was safe. One woman, a tall blonde began moving quickly around the room and shutting out the light sources. The tiny girl took my hands and brought me to a chair.

"Bella, I am Alice Whitlock, Edward is my brother. This is Esme Cullen, his mother," she said and I tensed. She was the woman I was supposed to die for and I was afraid they brought me here for that very purpose. "That is Rosalie," Alice continued, pointing at the blonde. "She's Emmett's wife, he's Edward's brother."

A huge man, shorter than Felix but just as muscle ridden smiled at me and nodded.

"My husband," she continued, "Is named Jasper; he's with Edward and Carlisle right now."

"Why did you save me?" I asked her and hoped I had actually been saved and not condemned.

"I thought you remember Edward?" she said with confusion.

"I have dreams of him," I said to correct her.

"Can we get her out of that dress," Rosalie said as if my appearance was offensive to her. I looked down at my dirty frock and tried to hide it with my hands. Esme took hold of my arm and I instinctively pulled away. She smiled and spoke kindly.

"Bella, would you like to bathe and change into your old clothing?"

I nodded, thinking anything would be better than the rag I was wearing. She led me to a large room with a big tub. She pressed a button and water filled quickly. She set some soap and bottles on the ledge and then set a robe on the counter.

I quickly pulled off my dress and climbed into the bubbly water. I sighed out loud at the feeling of the silky water on my skin. The smell of the water alone was amazing. I read the bottles and cleaned my skin and hair before getting out of the tub and drying off on the softest towels I had ever felt. I put on the robe and came out of the room to find Alice waiting for me.

"Come this way," she said and led me to a room where she showed me several dresses. They were brightly colored and made of soft fabric that clung to my hand. I pointed at a dark blue one and she smiled. "It was always Edward's favorite," she said and laid it on a bed.

She went to a drawer and pulled out something else dark blue and handed them to me. It was a bra and underwear set and I quickly put them on, finally feeling like I was truly dressed. She pulled the dress on over my head and stood back to look at me.

"We need to do something with your hair," she said and I reached up and felt the tangled mess. She pulled me to the bed and I sat as she ran a brush through my hair. It was over an hour when she finally finished applying makeup and curling my hair. I had so many questions I wanted to ask her, but fear stopped me.

I wasn't afraid she would hurt me, only that she would tell me horrible things about myself. I was terrified that Edward used me as a sex slave and never felt anything for me. He must have hidden me for a long time and when the Overlord found out I had to be returned. Maybe the Overlord was the kind one here.

I walked with Alice into the other room where the family was gathered and looked around for anything that looked familiar. Emmett came into the room and said, "Let's go."

Everyone stood and followed him to the door. I pulled back on Alice's hand and tried to cover my eyes. "Oh here, these glasses will protect your eyes," she said and put some dark glasses on me.

The door opened and the bright light made everything glow, but I was able to keep my eyes remaining open. I saw dense forest all around the house and a flying machine sitting in the yard. We all climbed inside and Emmett flew us deeper into the forest.

After several hours he called on an apparatus for Jasper. A voice came back telling us where to land. The craft set down and we all climbed out. I saw Carlisle and a strange man I assumed was Jasper waiting with Edward. My heart went wild as our eyes connected and I stared at the deep green I had seen so many nights.

Edward ran from his father side and crashed into me with so much force I would have fallen if he hadn't wrapped his arms around me. His mouth locked onto mine and he sobbed openly. My body naturally responded, kissing him back with frenzy. My hands sunk into his hair and our mouths opened widely as we tried to consume each other.

"Oh God, you're here," he said when we finally moved into just a hug.

I wasn't thinking clearly and had no control over the words coming out of my mouth, "Do you love me?" I asked him desperately.

"God, yes, I'll love you forever," he said and the tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Edward, you need to come inside," Carlisle yelled out to him. He kept his arms around my waist and pulled me into the large home obscured by all the underbrush of the jungle.

Alice gave an angry groan when she saw me crying and handed me a tissue. "You cry all the time," she complained.

"Do I?" I asked, and wiped my eyes.

Edward walked me to a sofa and sat next to me. "What do you remember, love?"

I looked into his eyes and reached out to touch his heart gently with my finger. "You… I remember you."

"Oh gag," Emmett said and turned to a large panel and began pressing buttons.

Edward smiled lovingly at me and kissed my finger. "You came to our home a year ago as a decoy bride," Edward said and I looked over at Esme. "We are Tenders; in our society it is equal to a king. We rule an outer region. We are at war right now, and the enemy tries to weaken us by killing our wives."

"So you let them kill us instead?" I asked with anger.

"Hell no," Emmett yelled in anger. "We let them try, but nobody gets killed on our watch."

"You used me as bait?" I asked him with disgust.

"You're alive, snookums," Emmett said with a big grin.

Edward instantly raised his hand to make Emmett stop talking and looked at me. "Bella, we tried to refuse a slave, but it was forced upon us. We treated you kindly and you became part of the family."

I looked around the room to see if anyone had an issue with what he said. Maybe he had wanted my body and everyone was only agreeing with his story. I finally looked back into his eyes and asked, "Were we intimate?"

I finally saw the look I had been waiting for. Edward's face twisted into pain and guilt and I waited for him to speak. He finally said, "You loved another man before me."

"Jake?" I asked and Edward nodded as he moved away and held his head in his hands. My mind was reeling. I had come to Edward in love with Jake, and returned to Jake in love with Edward. I had no idea which man I truly loved.

"Do you know how they control us?" I asked him and Carlisle moved forward to speak.

"You ingest a material that works with radio wave frequencies," he said and I felt proud of myself for figuring it out.

"I stopped eating," I said with pride and Esme rushed from the room to make me some food. "The pain they caused lessened until I was able to ignore it, but why did I feel pain when Jake touched me?"

Edward's leg kicked out forcefully and sent a small table flying into the wall. I jumped and looked at him with fear but his expression showed only pain. I realized it hurt him to think of Jake touching me. Carlisle looked at his son with absolute rage and asked, "Did you mess with her mind?"

"She needed to remember," Edward yelled and the room grew silent. Esme returned with some food and I ate greedily. The men moved to the panel Emmett was watching and began talking lowly with each other as Emse chatted with me.

She was nice and motherly and it made me think of my own mother. I asked, "Do you know where my mother Renee is?" She shook her head and gave my knee a squeeze with her hand.

"We don't allow slaves in our region, but the enemy is getting closer and the Overlord insisted Carlisle take you."

"What does the enemy want?" I asked her.

"To kill the Overlord," she said sadly and I looked away so she wouldn't see it was what I wanted, too.

I finally handed her my plate, too full to eat another bite and sat back to relax on the couch. I fell asleep to the sound of Edward's voice talking with his father and brother.

My legs stretched and I felt soft sheets around me. I opened my eyes to see I was in the middle of a huge bed. The sheets were almost translucent and felt like soft fur. Curtains surrounded the bed and I could see a window through the gauze. It was dark outside and I sat up and saw I was dressed in only my bra and underwear. I pulled the sheets up to my neck but you could see right through them.

Soft music played in the background sounding like it was coming directly from the walls. I crawled to the edge of the bed and looked out through a break in the netting. I saw Edward lying in a chair, with his arms pulled up to support his head as he slept.

I smiled at the thought of him remaining out of my bed and brought my feet to the floor. The tile was heated and I sighed, causing Edward's eyes to open. He looked up and I instantly moved behind the curtain and pulled it across my body.

My heart was racing as he stood and walked toward me. My body wanted him, badly. I was confused about Jake and wanted to make the right decision. Edward stood just inches from me and smiled. "I've seen your body many times," he said. "I was the one who placed you on the bed."

"Why did you sleep in the chair?" I asked him.

"Because I don't know if you went back to him or not," he said with a heavy voice.

"What did you do to my mind?" I asked bluntly and hoped I had truly cared for him and wasn't manipulated into it.

"I tried to make sure you would remember me," he said and used his finger to trace his name on my arm. I watched as he slowly moved his warm finger, mesmerized by the formation of his name on my body. Each letter carefully crafted sending my heart into a gallop.

When he finished I gasped and looked into his beautiful eyes. It wasn't, _remember war,_ he wrote on my back, it was _remember Edward_.

I dropped the curtain and fell into his waiting arms.

6 **Explanations**

My flesh felt like it was on fire for him. His hand moved down my back and up my thigh as I circled him in the tight hold of my legs. Our tongues were colliding and searching desperately for the taste and feel of each other.

We fell onto the bed and he easily dragged me with him to the center of the mattress. I was taking big gulps of air, removing my lips from him only long enough to breathe. He mumbled words I couldn't decipher and finally moved to my ear.

"My Isabella," he cried, "Tell me what I want to hear."

"I love you," I said honestly, unable to control anything on my body at the moment.

"Is it me you want?" he asked as he struggled to breathe, too.

"Only you," I said and began pulling on his shirt.

He quickly dispatched my bra and panties as I removed his clothes. I pushed him onto his back and straddled him between my legs. His eyes were dark and his voice was sultry as he stared at my body. "Do you remember this?" he asked me and I shook my head in the negative.

He thrust upwards, filling me completely as I cried out loudly. "Do you remember this?" he said with a strained voice.

I let my head fall back and shook it lightly. He hand rose to my chest and he pulled my breast to his mouth as I began making loud noises. I was feeling him everywhere and trying to concentrate as my body shuttered with pleasure. I had a series of short burst of images, all of Edward making love to me. I screamed his name and he asked me one last time, "Do you remember this?"

"Yes," I yelled and came undone in his arms. He erupted in violent spasm and we both fell to the side as we cried together.

He quickly moved my hair from around my face and looked at me to see if I was still okay with what we had done. I moved in closer and kissed him several times as his hands wandered softly around my body. I couldn't remember loving Jake, but I was certain it was nothing compared to how much I loved Edward.

We lay intertwined and spoke in soft whispers that seemed familiar. "Tell me about going back," he asked as his fingers trailed down my spine.

"I don't want to think about it," I told him, but he insisted.

"I tried to make it easy for you to remember me, but I wasn't sure what you would face. Now you can tell me and I can make sure I'll never lose you."

I took a deep breath and spoke softly. "I woke up in a cave and I had no idea who I was." His expression changed to a pain filled one as he listened closely. "I had been beaten," I continued and saw tears fill his eyes. "I bathed in a pond under a waterfall…."

"You bathed, why?" he interrupted.

"My dress was filthy and I was sore," I explained and he let his face turn up to the ceiling and shook his head. "I shouldn't have bathed?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry, continue with your story," he begged.

I walked though the entire scenario and he listened to every word. He seemed proud of my ability to escape and kissed my forehead throughout the story. When I finished I scooted closer into his arms and tried to find out his end of my story.

"Tell me about us," I asked him.

His arms tightened around me and he smiled. "My father brought you home one day. You were so terrified and we told you constantly we wouldn't hurt you. You were suspicious over everything and told me constantly how your boyfriend would kick my ass."

I raised my head and looked at him to see if he was only teasing me. He nodded and I mumbled, "Sorry."

"After a couple of months you realized we thought of you as part of the family and you changed your attitude. You were always afraid at night so you would come into my room and we would talk until you fell asleep. I fell madly in love with you," he said and kissed my head.

"I'm a slave," I said sadly, reminding him of where I came from.

"Not in my eyes," he said softly.

"Why are my people treated so badly?" I asked and knew he would tell me about war and power, but his answer surprised me.

"You were bred to be slaves."

I looked up at him and he shook his head. "It's barbaric, I know. It started with prisoners. They were bred to have children that would be enslaved. When it became harder to control the slaves they were moved underground."

"So we come from your society?" I asked in shock and he shook his head.

"When we began fighting with the Kosars the Overlord wanted to create an army of slaves, but some of the various Tenders objected. My father led the revolt, but the Overlord can't chance growing weak, so he isn't responding to the issue right now. Once we get the upper hand on the Kosars the Tenders will most likely fight each other."

"It is all so awful," I said and raised my hand to wipe my wet eyes.

"I'm so sorry, love," he offered.

I had no idea if he felt my people should be free or if he was only worried about his father's coming fight. He didn't sound loyal to the Overlord, but that didn't naturally make him an ally. I thought about my mother and worried if she was safe, then my mind moved to Jake. I should have told him I loved another man and helped him understand how to grow stronger than the Overlord. If I got caught and sent back home I would have to remember to teach everyone how to revolt. I finally fell asleep in Edward's arms, feeling truly safe.

The next morning we were awakened to the sound of Alice's high pitched shrill. She jumped onto our bed and stood over us as she jumped up and down. I pulled the sheets over us but they didn't hide anything. Edward finally grabbed her leg and knocked her down so the annoying jumping stopped.

"I want time with Bella," Alice complained and I looked up at Edward.

"In a month, if you're lucky," he said and tightened his arms around me.

Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. "No, come on Edward. I missed her, too."

"You only missed her… I wanted to die," he said and I looked to see if he was only kidding. His face told me he wasn't and I reached out to touch him soothingly.

Alice huffed loudly and scooted off the bed. "I'll give you one hour and then I'm taking her away." She left the room and Edward smiled at me. I leaned over to kiss him and his palm held my cheek tenderly.

"You and Alice became the best of friends," he informed me.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," I said and then swallowed before asking, "Why did I leave?" Edward ran his fingers through his hair and I could tell he was struggling with a decision. I finally touched his lips with my finger and said, "Tell me the truth, please."

"I turned you in," he admitted with sad eyes. I gasped and tried to move away but he pulled me tighter to his body. "Bella, I had to do it to save your life. I did everything I could to make sure you would remember me and come back. The Kosars were targeting us and it was too dangerous to keep you with us."

"But wouldn't it put Esme's life in danger?"

"She would never put you in danger to save herself," he said forcefully. "But now you're back and they have no idea you are here. You are safe now."

"But the Overlord will be looking for me," I pointed out and he nodded.

"We will go on normally until we are no longer suspects," he said as if he had it all figured out. "My father is meeting with the leadership today."

"Won't they search your home?"

"Yes, but this isn't our home," he said with a sly smile and I looked around the room.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Deep in the forest surrounding our lands, nobody knows about this place so we will keep you here until the search dies down," he said and I felt like I was trapped all over again.

I had moved from one prison to another and the thought sickened me. I rolled away from him and he sat up to look at me. I wanted to scream and pound on something but this was his room, in his house, on his lands. I had nothing.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" I laughed. "I'm a slave; even here with you I am still a slave. I either hide underground or in a forest, but I still have to hide. I am no different than you, our blood comes from the same source, but my family has to be slaves because our own people have chosen to allow it."

"Bella, this happened years ago, before we existed. I don't agree with it, but it is how our world works."

"Did I tell you I loved Jake?" I asked him and saw how his eyes narrowed. He nodded but refused to speak. "Well, I didn't fall in love and choose him. We were commanded to breed, chosen to be together because of our DNA."

"Bella, you're free now. That part of your life is over," he said in an attempt to calm me down. He had no idea what I was trying to say and I threw up my arms in frustration.

"I'm not free, because I know they are trapped under the earth. I know their names and faces. Do you think I could be happy for my own good fortune and forget about the others?"

He looked so confused and probably wondered what I expected to be done about it. He didn't voice the words, he didn't have to, because I answered before he got the chance to ask. "I want the Overlord dead and my people to be freed."

"Killing the Overlord won't make your people free," he explained to me. "There are too many Tenders who believe in the program. The slaves would be angry and join the Kosars to destroy us."

I wanted to scream, "So what?" My people deserved their revenge, and if the Kosars would be willing to deliver it, I didn't care. I didn't want to fight with him so I said, "Where are my clothes, I want to see Alice?"

"Don't be angry with me," he begged. "I'm so happy to have you back and I ached to think you're miserable."

My heart softened and I couldn't blame the history of my people on him. I smiled and he came over to lay his head on my shoulder. I held his nude body against mine and felt such love for him that it became difficult to breathe. I was lucky to be here, even though we had so much more to talk about. I couldn't face anymore news today. I wanted to reacquaint myself with Alice and worry about politics later.

He joined me for a bath and washed my hair as I closed my eyes and reveled in his touch. I put on a robe afterward and he took me to Alice. She ran across her room to take my hand and smiled up at her brother. "Goodbye," she said and Edward grumbled.

He kissed my nose and left the room. Alice pulled me to stand in front of a door. "I'm going to show you heaven, so prepare yourself," she giggled.

I couldn't remember Alice, but I liked her already. She was bubbly and her tiny size made me feel like I was in control of the situation. I began to feel exuberant myself and teased with her. "You're going to kill me?" I asked, since she promised to show me heaven.

"Probably, you're gonna die when you see this," she laughed and opened the door to reveal a huge closet, larger than her entire bedroom, with shelf after shelf filled with clothes. Shoes lined the back wall and garments hung from hangers on both sides.

"Oh my God, are these all your clothes?" I gasped as I walked into the large cavernous space. It was too much for one person to possess and it made me think of my people and their meager rags.

"No, they're yours," she said, and bounced up and down as tears slid down my face.


	3. Chapter 7 thru 9

**7**** Pawn**

I could picture the dirty dresses we all wore underground and I was sickened by the display in front of me. I touched to soft fabrics and walked down the row of shelves. Nobody needed so many clothes and it oddly made me feel more like a slave.

"Where did all this come from?" I asked her.

"Edward bought you these…you know…last time," she said awkwardly.

"I was okay with this?" I asked in shock. Her eyes grew wide and she began biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to read my expression. I looked back at the clothes and said, "This is just blood money, payment to keep me enslaved to him."

"No, Bella," she said softly. "Edward loves you. He wanted to you to have everything you desired."

"I desired all of this?" I asked with a panicked voice and felt ashamed of myself.

"You didn't have any clothes," she said as her own tears formed.

"I lived my life in one dress, one," I screamed at her. "This is…obscene." I began pulling everything off the shelves and hangers as I cried out in grunts.

Alice ran from the room and returned quickly with a horrified Edward. Rosalie entered behind them both and then Esme. I was wild with rage and screamed as I continued making a mess. "No, these are not mine, I'm not this person."

Edward finally had to capture me from behind and hold me tightly as I struggled and howled. When my ability to fight him waned, I collapsed in his arms. He lowered us both to the floor and rocked me against his chest. "I'm sorry," he repeated constantly.

"I can't just forget," I sobbed, as he apologized.

When I finally gained my composure Edward stood and helped me up. Rosalie glared at me and said with venom, "He did this out of love, you should be more appreciative."

"Rose," Edward yelled angrily, and I only buried my face in his chest. He took me back to his room and locked the door. I walked over and sat in the chair he had been sleeping in the night before. I couldn't imagine ever being happy over a room full of clothes, but maybe I became a selfish person and just couldn't remember it.

Edward got on his knees in front of me and said, "Bella, try to understand things will make sense to you over time. You can't understand everything right away. We shared nine months together, not just hours."

I nodded but it didn't stop the disgust I felt for myself. Edward stared at me for a few moments and then suggested I get back in bed and he would bring me some food. I crawled into the luxurious bed and thought about the small cots I had slept on so many nights. He returned with a tray of food and I ate without tasting anything.

Edward went into the closet full of clothing and brought me some pants and a shirt. He put them on the bed next to some new panties and a bra. I dressed as he watched, never feeling uncomfortable, just numb. He took me into the common room where his family was gathered. Alice ran over to hug me and said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm just really overwhelmed," I said and looked down at the floor.

"Have you heard from dad?" Edward asked Emmett. The large man shook his head and glanced over at me.

"I'm sure your father is fine," Esme said to calm us all, but something told me she was worried about her man.

Jasper touched a screen and a large map rose into the air. "The Kosars have moved to the other province. It takes the pressure off of us, but it will expose the Denali's weakness."

"Has the Overlord sent more troops?" Emmett asked.

"We don't know. We can't send any, because we don't know if this is a rouse," Jasper said and the two other men looked back at the map.

"What do the Kosars want?" I asked softly and everyone turned to look at me. "I mean, what is the war over?"

"They're Kosars," Emmett yelled, "They shouldn't even exist.

I realized they had no idea why they hated their enemy. It happened long ago, like the enslavement of my people. It was the way things were and nobody questioned it. I finally asked a different question. "What are the Kosars like? Do they look differently from us?"

"They're vermin," Jasper said with loathing in his voice. "Most likely they are short, stocky people, with hearts full of hatred."

"Do you plan to make them into slaves?" I asked, and again everyone turned to look at me.

"No, we plan to wipe them from the earth," Emmett yelled and Edward protectively put his arms around me.

"I guess I should feel lucky you only enslaved my people," I said and Edward let his head fall. I wasn't trying to fight with his family. They had been nice to me, but I wanted to point out that they were going along with the status quo and never questioning if it was right or wrong.

Rosalie scowled at me and said, "What do you suggest we do, Bella?" Her tone showed her anger and Emmett reached out to touch her arm but she threw him off.

I looked right into her eyes and said, "Kill the Overlord and free my people."

She laughed at my ridiculous suggestion and said, "We would end up slaves to the Kosars."

Edward finally reached the limit of his patience and he stood and turned to face me. "I didn't make your people slaves. I had nothing to do with it and if I was the Overlord I would free them all, but I'm not. Stop blaming me. You are free to come and go as you wish, you are not my slave."

My own anger boiled up inside of me and I stood and walked out the door I had entered through. I looked around the large forest through my dark glasses and set out on what appeared to be a trail. I was terrified and worried Edward would let me simply leave without coming to try and change my mind.

I wanted to make a point, not really leave him. He was my only link to this world and I loved him deeply, but I continued walking forward, being pulled by an unseen magnet back to my people.

I had been walking for close to an hour when I heard noises behind me. I stopped and listened to the sound of leaves and twigs crunching, before I hid behind a tree. I waited for the sounds that were coming closer and felt a huge relief when I saw it was Edward. I stepped out into the open and he walked over to me.

He shook his head lightly and said, "I need to tell you what it did to me when you left. I knew it had to be to keep you alive, but it almost destroyed me. I had to believe you would somehow return to me or I wouldn't be able to continue on. We worked on hypnotism to trigger your memory and help you understand how to make your way back to me, but I didn't know if it would work. You came back," he said and his voice broke and he looked away with wet eyes.

I finally placed my hand on his chest and I could feel his heart beating. I closed my eyes and felt the rhythm join with mine. I owed my freedom to him and I had to start being grateful instead of accusatory. "I'm sorry," I said with a whisper. "I am so overwhelmed by everything."

"I understand," he said. "I really do."

I tilted my head up and he kissed me fervently. I let my arms snake around his neck and felt his body come alive against mine. I was totally helpless in resisting him. My happiness was so wrapped up in him I couldn't imagine being too far from his side.

We lowered to the forest floor as we rolled passionately, clinging to each other tightly. He pinned me on my back and writhed his body against mine. I was lost in the ecstasy I was feeling and didn't hear the strangers approaching us. Edward suddenly jumped and spun around in time to see three people come into view.

I pulled myself off the ground and stood behind him in fear. A woman and two men approached us and I could feel Edward stiffen as they came closer. "What are you doing on our lands?" Edward asked with authority.

"We're checking the movement of the Kosars," the man with long blonde hair said hatefully. The woman concentrated her stare on me and I lowered my eyes from her gaze.

"We make reports to the counsel," Edward said with more anger. "You have no right to be here."

The other man bowed slightly to Edward and said, "We apologize for our intrusion, good day." They all turned and left in the direction they came from. Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me as he ran back toward his house. I didn't ask questions, I could tell by his demeanor we were in trouble. I ran with him as fast as I could go.

We burst into the house and Edward yelled for everyone. Emmett arrived first, followed by Jasper. Edward ran to the map and pressed a button, making it spring to life. "Aro's son is on our land," Edward said with a tight jaw.

"They saw Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Yes," Edward said and turned to punch a wall. "I am so stupid. I never should have let her walk out the door."

Emmett looked at me and then back at Edward. "She's still traceable, they couldn't zero in on her exact location because the serum in her body is too weak, but they found her general whereabouts."

Jasper turned to Esme and said, "Get more fluid and food, we need to filter her body as quickly as possible."

Esme ran from the room and I sat with a dry mouth. They found me and I was sure I would be sent back underground as soon as possible. I looked over at Edward as my tears began to blur his image. He paced the floor, pulling on his hair as he tried to think of a solution.

Alice ran into the room and announced she just spoke to Carlisle. He was ordering guards around the perimeter of the forest. I knew it would weaken the resistance on the borders with the Kosars and my presence was putting them at risk.

"You can't," I said loudly. "Keep the guards where they are, I'll leave."

"And go where?" Rose said and rolled her eyes.

I looked back at Edward and said softly, "Home, I'll go home." Esme came in with a tray of food and drinks and noticed how everyone was frozen in their spot. She looked back at me and I shook my head lightly. I stood and said with a strong voice, "Edward, let's work on hypnosis and then I'll turn myself in."

"No," he screamed at me and then again to the others in the room. "She is not leaving me."

"We are all in danger, Edward," Rosalie pointed out and Edward looked at her with loathing.

"I'll take her with me," he said and looked back at me. "I'll run with her."

Alice walked up to stand right in front of her brother and rubbed his arm lightly. "Edward, let me take her. You stay and make them think she ran. I'll take care of her," she offered.

They were all talking about me like I wasn't in the room, as if I was a slave and didn't deserve a voice in the matter. I felt the need to assert myself, but I feared my decision would be based on protecting Edward, not the most efficient plan.

Edward looked so broken as he tried to come up with the right thing to do. His face showed the strain of his realization that he would have to separate from me. I wanted to take away his pain and hide my own. I took his hand and pulled him with me back to the bedroom. If we had to say goodbye we would do it properly.

Edward stopped at the foot of the bed and said to me, "We've done this before. I don't think I can do it again."

"We have more knowledge now so I'll come back sooner," I promised him.

He turned me around and raised my shirt before writing on my back. Then he sat with his legs crossed in front of me on the bed and held up a black medallion. It teetered back and forth in front of my eyes as Edward spoke softly. "Water will cause you pain, do not get into the water when you wake up." He repeated it several times as his voice moved from a steady calm to soft sobs.

8 **Barren**

I wondered if my heart hurt this badly the last time I left. I couldn't sleep in Edward's arms, so I allowed him to simply hold me as the darkness encroached on us. He whispered words of love often throughout the night and I tried to bury them deeply into my heart.

We made love one last time, but it wasn't comforting, it was wild and desperate. Our bodies were used to release the grief we had building up inside and our cries of passion turned into cries of pain. We were listening to the noises of the night when Emmett ran into the room.

"They're coming," he said and Edward jumped up and pulled on his pants. Rose began dressing me as Alice filled a bag for me.

I finally grabbed Edward's arm and asked, "Should I just go with them?"

"No, Alice will take you somewhere safe. I'll join you soon," he said and it was the first time I realized he had decided to go with Alice's plan.

"Burn anything she's touched," Jasper said and began pulling off the sheets from the bed.

Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me from the room. I looked back at Edward in fear and he blew me a kiss. I was so afraid it would be the last time I saw him, or even remembered who he was. We got into a machine that looked like a rolling bubble. It silently began rolling as Alice maneuvered a lever.

We travelled for many miles through the forest before coming to a large body of water. Alice continued right into the wet blackness and we sank to the sea floor and continued moving forward. I couldn't see where we were going but Alice didn't act concerned.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked her.

"The Tenders of the province next to us are supporters of my father. They will help us to hide," she said and I remembered them talking about the Kosars moving to attack another province.

"The Denalis?" I asked, and she looked at me with wide eyes. "I heard someone speak of them. They have a weakness?" I pressed to see if she would confide in me.

"Their daughter Kate ran away and lives with the Kosars. It has made her parents less…adamant, about killing them," Alice said and shook her head in disgust.

"Do the Kosars keep slaves?" I asked and Alice gave me a long warning glare.

"They are not the good people in this war, Bella. You would be better off dead than with them," she said without answering my question. I felt the Overlord had convinced everyone to hate the Kosars to keep his own power, but I didn't share my opinion with Alice.

My legs were beginning to cramp in the small space and I kept trying to readjust my body for some relief. Alice watched me and then smiled, "Sometimes being small has its advantages."

I laughed and tried to relax as we continued across the sea floor. "How long have you been married?" I asked her.

"Two years, but I've known Jasper for years. He was Edward's friend and they attended military training together."

"Military training?"

"It is required of all males between fifteen and eighteen," she told me.

"How old is Edward?" I asked and realized I didn't ask him in the short amount of time we had together.

"Twenty-four," she replied and I gasped. I hadn't realized he was so much older than I was. Slaves were commanded to repopulate at the age of eighteen and I wondered if it was the same for the people above ground.

"Do you have any children?" I asked.

She gave me a sad look and said, "We've put in for a license but we haven't heard anything yet."

I had no idea what she was talking about so I asked hesitantly, "You have to get a license to get pregnant?"

"Oh, we don't get pregnant," she said to completely confuse me. "We submit our DNA and a child is processed for us."

"Processed, like made?" I asked in shock. "You don't carry your own child inside of you?"

"No, it only takes three months because the fetus can be grown at an accelerated rate. We have been altered to procreate this way."

I sat and thought about what she was telling me. The Overlord controlled the population he ruled over. He could program anything he wanted into their minds and form them from birth to agree with him. They were slaves too, they just didn't realize it. Jake's words came back to my mind when he said we had been inventors, doctors, and scientists.

"Oh my God," I said aloud unknowingly. My people had been prisoners because of their refusal to go along with the Overlord. We weren't enslaved because we were weak, we were the strongest and they locked us up for it. We were forced to be together with certain mates to weaken our family lines, and that was the only way to make stronger slaves which would be easier to control.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked and I shook my head and turned away from her. I was more determined than ever to find a way to free my people. The Overlord had to be killed to set everyone free.

We finally began to emerge out of the water and onto dry land. I had to put my glasses back on as the sun began to rise. We traveled into a large city filled with people and stopped in front of a huge castle. I followed Alice through the gates and up a huge marble staircase. She knew her way around the many rooms and we finally entered a large office where a man and woman sat at matching desks.

"Alice," the man said and rose to greet her.

"Eleazar," Alice smiled and gave him a courteous kiss on the cheek. "Hello Carmen," she said to the woman.

"I've spoken with your father," Eleazar said," And you may stay as long as necessary."

"We need to be far from the city," Alice said and they both nodded.

"I'll have Tanya take you somewhere safe," he said and I noticed how Alice seemed to tense at the mention of Tanya. I got a feeling the kids were not as friendly as the parents.

We were both offered a chair to sit and I asked permission to remain standing. My legs were enjoying the ability to stretch and I wasn't sure how soon we would be back inside the small pod. Someone brought in some food and drink and I looked at the slave woman with remorse.

I didn't recognize her, but I was sure I had known her before. She looked at me and winked, telling me she knew who I was. "What is your name?" I asked her softly.

Her eyes moved to the Denalis and she began to shake in fear. I glared at the couple who were offering me help while keeping slaves for themselves.

"Speak freely," Eleazar instructed her so she turned her attention back to me.

"My name is Janet Culp, I used to teach you as a small child," she said with a fond smile of remembrance.

"Do you know where Renee is?" I asked her with a pleading voice.

"No child, has she been summoned again?"

I nodded and tried to stop the tears that were burning my eyes from spilling over my lids. I wanted to tell her when she returned not to eat the food and that the illuminating walls were tracking us, but it wouldn't do any good, her mind would just be erased.

I thanked her for the food and drink and she left the room just as a beautiful young woman entered. I thought I heard Alice hiss, but I wasn't sure. I watched the woman who was dressed in stylish clothing and as she moved across the room. She was lithe and elegant in her movements until she turned and looked right at me. Her posture stiffened and her smile faded.

She no longer looked beautiful, but mean and angry. I instantly worried about Janet and the wrath she had to endure from this woman. Alice stood, dwarfed by the stature of Tanya, but showing no fear of her.

"We are ready to leave whenever you are," she announced.

Tanya looked back at her father with a reluctant stare and Eleazar cleared his throat and said, "Tanya, take them to the Island and make sure you are not followed."

"Why?" she demanded hatefully.

"It is not your concern," her father shouted.

She turned back to face me and looked me up and down with disgust. I felt my confidence fold inward and I looked down at my feet. I hated that this woman made me feel like a dirty slave, but I couldn't force myself to look back at her eyes. Her feeling of superiority was almost tangible and it made me wonder what the Overlord would be like.

I had pictured myself running a knife through his chest many times, but I wondered now if I would have to courage to do it. I weakened so much just from Tanya looking at me; I would surely cave in front of the Overlord.

Nothing was said, but Alice took hold of my arm and we followed Tanya from the room. She walked briskly in front of us with her heels clicking loudly on the marble. We trailed her to a room with flying crafts and got into the back of one. I put on my glasses and the ceiling opened as we raised high into the air.

I looked over the large city with pristine white buildings and thought about the dark caves my people existed in. They didn't' seem so bad after knowing these people were slaves, too. We headed across more water to a small island. I expected Tanya to leave right away, but she exited the machine with me and Alice.

We all headed into the house, which was more like a bunker on the inside. The walls were thick and the glass didn't let the sun through, making the rooms dark. I sat my bag down and looked around without leaving the room. Alice finally spoke again to Tanya.

"Edward will be coming, will it be a problem?"

My head snapped around to look at Tanya at the mention of Edward's name. The woman glared at me, worse than before and then slowly shook her head back and forth. "Do you have an issue with Edward?" I stupidly asked her.

"Don't you ever presume to speak to me, slave," she yelled at me.

"Her name is Bella," Alice yelled just as loudly.

"The Cullens have always been too common for their own good," she said as her eyes bore into me. "You will not find us so ready to cavort with cave people."

My anger gave me the courage I had been lacking and I shook my head and laughed at her. "Who knows, you and I might actually be related. I can have a baby, can you?"

Her eyes flashed and her chin rose high into the air, "I wouldn't want to have a child from my own body, the thought is disgusting."

"I didn't ask if you wanted to, I asked if you could," I clarified and her anger kicked up a notch.

"We don't procreate like heathens," she seethed.

"No, you do it without any emotion at all, no love, or passion, or mystery. You simply hand over your genetic material without thought of what is being done to it. You have no idea what is encoded into you, at least I know my thoughts are my own."

Both Alice and Tanya stood frozen in front of me. I had given them cause for concern about something they had never considered. I didn't mean to hurt Alice by my words; they were only aimed at Tanya. Alice walked over to a chair and sat down as she mulled over what I had said. Tanya walked past me and out of the room.

I walked over to Alice and knelt in front of her, placing my hands on her thighs. "I'm sorry; I was trying to lash out and Tanya, not you. She is so mean to me and I snapped."

"I never thought about the Overlord doing something to our minds," she said as tears formed in her eyes, "I only now realize he took something very precious away from women, our ability to give birth. He has designed us to be barren without his help."

My heart ached for her and all the women who wouldn't feel a child growing in their belly. I even felt a small amount of sorrow for Tanya until Alice spoke again. She wiped away a tear before smiling down at me. "Your very presence is most likely lashing out at Tanya. She was engaged to Edward, until you broke them up."

9 **Release**

I heard the words Alice said and understood their meaning, but I couldn't believe Edward had a choice between Tanya, a beautiful, powerful woman, and me, a slave. I had nothing to offer him except danger for loving me.

I also realized just how much I had betrayed Jake. I had remembered loving him and still took Edward from another woman. I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. I may have had heated words with Tanya and didn't remember it, so I needed to be understanding of her hatred toward me.

"Is she staying here with us?" I asked Alice.

"I doubt it, now that she knows Edward is alone," she answered and my heart plummeted to my feet. Alice noticed how my face paled and she quickly added, "Bella, he loves you so much. Please don't worry about Tanya."

"His life would be so much easier with her," I said softly. I knew if I truly loved him I should be willing to let him go, but I was selfish in my need.

Alice wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly, her head coming only to my chin. "Bella, Edward was miserable until the day he met you. You brought him to life and I want to thank you for it."

I wasn't sure if I believed her, any man would be happy with someone as beautiful as Tanya. I couldn't fathom what he could see in me. I hugged her back and let the subject drop, I had bigger worries at the moment.

I followed Alice to a room with two beds and put away the things she had packed for me. I refrained from commenting on the quality of the clothing and wondered why I would have reason to dress so formally. I was so tried from the night without sleep and fell onto the bed to rest my eyes for only a few moments.

I woke hours later to a quiet house. I walked through all the rooms, seeing a room full of equipment I didn't recognize. The house was beautiful even though it was evident it was constructed as a sanctuary. I found the kitchen and drank a large glass of water. I looked out a dark window at the sandy beach and missed Edward terribly. I hoped Alice had gone to get him and we would be together soon.

I walked back to the main room just as Tanya entered through a back door. Our eyes met and hers instantly narrowed. I walked over to sit in a chair and she did the same, which surprised me. I could tell she wanted to have this conversation so I allowed her the moment.

"Edward has always been…different," she said with a hint of a smirk.

"Different?"

"Yes, possibly even a bit crazy," she laughed.

I only stared at her, refusing to take the bait so she continued on. "He'll lose his birthright as a Tender, but I guess bedding you is worth living in squalor."

She accomplished what she set out to do; she forced me to see how bad it was for Edward to love me. I was costing him everything. He would live in hiding, enslaved like I was, just to be by my side. I couldn't allow it.

"Do you love him?" I asked her with a soft voice, shaking so badly I could hardly speak at all.

"We were very much in love, until you snuck into his bed one night," she said and began playing with her hands as her eyes looked away from mine.

"I can only assume I had been invited," I said as my heart pounded in my chest.

"You missed your lover, and took mine as a substitute," she said hatefully.

I wasn't sure what to believe. Jake made it sound like we had only been intimate once before I had been summoned away, but maybe he said that so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Could it be possible I used Edward to stop the pain of missing Jake?

"Why would he let a slave take him away?" I asked her, not to be mean, but to try and gain some understanding.

"I told you he has always been different. Edward needs to feel like the hero, saving everyone and everything. He'll tire of you, that I can promise," she laughed and sat back as she took a deep breath.

I let my mind run in several different directions and finally asked, "Can you get me in to see the Overlord?"

She sat perfectly still, except for her leg that bounced as she stared at me. I couldn't read her expression and didn't even know if my request was possible for her to accomplish. She finally flicked her fingernails and said, "What if I can?"

"Then Edward is free of me," I said honestly, because I would either be sent back underground, or condemned to die for killing the Overlord. "I can't promise him to you, because he is free to choose for himself."

"Do you need to simply see the Overlord or have an audience with him?" she asked and my pulse quickened at the possibility.

"A private audience," I clarified.

"I can arrange it," she said with an evil smile.

I wasn't sure if I believed her so I added, "If you try to trick me, I will kill you."

"Are you threatening a Tender, you filthy slave," she yelled and stood before me.

A weird calm spread through me and I wasn't intimidated by her at all. I felt like I had a quest and nothing could get in my way, not even the strong love of an amazing man. This was what I was destined for, and I couldn't shy away from it.

I began at her toes and moved my eyes slowly up her body until I reached her hate filled eyes. I spoke slowly and clearly, "I have what you want, so get me what I want and you can have it back."

"It will be difficult," she said and I began to believe she was only playing me.

"Do what it takes or get out of my sight," I said and moved out of the chair to stand eye to eye with her. She gave me a nervous smile and then stepped back, out of my reach.

We both heard a door open and she leaned in to speak quietly, "Be at the beach Thursday at midnight."

I nodded and moved back to the chair as Alice entered the room. She looked between us both and then glared at Tanya. "I told you to stay away from her," Alice said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"We were having a nice chat, weren't we Bella?

"Tanya is a great hostess," I said with a fake smile and Alice rolled her eyes at me.

"I got us some food, come on," Alice said and I followed her into the kitchen. She pulled items from a bag, many I had never seen before and began chopping them into small quarters. Tanya informed us she was leaving and would be back later in the week. She glanced at me and then left the room.

"I hope she wasn't filling your head with nonsense about Edward," Alice said as she continued chopping.

"No, but I have a few questions," I said and just her eyes rose to look at me. "Will Edward still be a Tender if he stays with me?"

"If you noticed, my father is a young man for having grown kids. He may outlive us all," she said to avoid the question. I took her answer to be, no.

Edward would have to live his life in hiding and running to keep me safe. I was stuck on an island without any idea where I was, waiting for it to be safe enough for us to be together. This would be how we would live together. I loved the idea of having his babies, but not like this, not running.

My only hope of truly having Edward would be to kill the Overlord and hope the Tenders who didn't believe in slavery could win the battle and free my people. It was a lot of speculation just to be together, but it was the only way.

"Alice, are there any weapons here to defend ourselves?" I asked. I actually wanted a knife, it was the only thing I knew how to use, but I wanted to hear her answer first.

"Weapons are banned," she said and I looked at her dumbfounded.

"So if the Kosars break through, people are left defenseless?"

She nodded and looked worried. "The other providences would send their armies, but yes, people would be defenseless."

"Don't the Tenders have weapons, since they would be the targets of the Kosars?" I pressed and hoped Edward had some way to be safe.

"We aren't supposed to talk about this stuff," Alice said in just a whisper. "The armies are provided with what they need."

"By the Overlord," I said in disgust and she nodded in the affirmative.

I thought about the exercises we all performed in the cave and wondered if we were better prepared for hand to hand combat than the people above ground. They sat back and let the Overlord take care of them, growing weaker and weaker with each generation as we grew stronger underground.

I spent two wonderful days with just Alice. We talked about everything under the sun. She told me about Edward as a child, how he was prone to being introspective and serious. Emmett was the oldest and the brother who was out of control. He loved to drink and would often end up in fights. Alice was the middle child, wanting her parents' attention and validation.

I wished I had siblings and tried to believe my parents truly loved each other instead of being forced together. I would have loved to have had a sister, but Alice didn't have one either, bringing us closer together. "Rosalie seems irritated by me," I said to finally broach the subject.

"Rosalie is irritated by everyone," Alice said with a sigh. "She is the daughter of a Tender from another province. Her marriage to one of my brothers was arranged to unite both lands." She saw how big my eyes widened and quickly explained, "Edward would have nothing to do with her, but Emmett took one look at her beauty and agreed to marry her. I think they have really grown to love each other."

"Was Edward's relationship with Tanya arranged to unite the lands?" I asked.

"Not really, I mean we go way back with the Denalis. Our families have been united on every cause."

"But they have slaves," I said to point out a major difference.

"Yes, but they are willing to pay people to serve them, they are not adamant about slavery. Let's make a snack and watch a vid," she suggested and we headed to the kitchen. She pulled open and closed several drawers and then turned to look at me. "Have you seen the big knife?"

"Isn't in the drawer?" I said and pretended to look. "We used it two nights ago."

Alice continued to search until I finally found her an adequate replacement. She cut up some fruit and we each got into our own beds as the vid began to play overhead. I waited for her to fall asleep before sneaking out of the room and onto the beach. The knife was strapped against my leg beneath my sock and I could feel the cold steal as I paced on the sand.

I expected Tanya to emerge out of the water, but she came walking down the beach and out of the darkness. I leaned to tie my shoe, getting close to the knife in case I needed it. She stopped and said, "Are you sure you want to do this? It will most likely cost you your life."

All I had to do was imagine the faces of my mother and father and I was certain of my decision. I nodded and walked toward her. She turned and led me down the beach to where a flying machine waited. We flew for several hours over many cities and finally came to a large mountain where a building was build into the rock face at the top.

Tanya looked over at me and said, "When I distract the guard you sneak inside, from there you are on your own. The Overlord can be found in the room at the very top."

I swallowed deeply and felt for the knife before nodding to her. She lowered the craft on a landing pad as a large man walked toward us.


	4. Chapter 10 thru 12

10 **Mirage**

My heart was pounding furiously and I wasn't sure if Tanya betrayed me or not. She climbed from her seat and headed for the man coming our way. Her hand moved behind her back and she motioned for me to go. I climbed from the craft and stayed low as I ran for the cover of the building.

I went through a door and found an empty inner chamber. I stayed close to the wall and hurried to a stairwell and began climbing for the top. I had to stop several times and take breaths. I needed my strength when I confronted the Overlord.

I tried to come up with various scenarios on what I would say and do. I imagined pretending to be injured and when he came to my aid I would plunge the knife. I prepared a speech to tell him how evil he was and how a cave person was here to kill him. Finally, I thought of sneaking up on him and killing him from behind.

The stairs ended and I rested for a bit before placing my ear against the door to see if I could hear anything. The building was silent and I wondered why there weren't guards all over the place, but I figured they were all fighting the Kosars. I peeked through the door and saw a clear hallway with big windows instead of walls. A shadow was walking back and forth in the large room at the end of the hall.

I got onto my hands and knees and crawled my way to the glass wall where the shadow continued to pace. I pulled the knife from my sock and put my back against the door. I was shaking almost uncontrollably as I waited for his movements to bring him closer. I watched him walk right up to the door. I closed my eyes and forced myself to think of setting my people free.

He passed the door and I counted to three before raising my knife, opening the door, and rushing into the room.

I was crying with fear and swinging the knife wildly, but only a shadow turned and passed over me. I looked around the empty room and saw a projector moving an image around the room. "Where are you?" I screamed as I circled the room.

I saw a hidden door and quickly pulled it open. The small room was filled with monitors showing various cities and providences. They changed frequently and I gasped loudly when I saw the sleeping room in the caverns. I searched for my father but the image changed too quickly.

The room was filled with cabinets and I began pulling things from them and reading as quickly as I could. I found a large map with war strategies. I read in shock about the invention of the Kosars, which didn't even exist. It spoke of their appearance and how to bred enmity into the citizens so they would naturally hate a supposed enemy.

There wasn't a war going on, and the citizens had been rendered helpless as a means of control. I began looking for anything about the Overlord, something that would tell me how to find him. I came across some old scrolls written in an ancient text. Attached was a detailed plan to use a small enzyme to create subliminal thoughts in people so they would believe the Overlord, who had died centuries ago, was still watching over them.

I covered my mouth as the bile rose and stung my throat. I looked at the names listed on the plans, it was a conglomerate of Tenders working to create their version of a perfect society, ruled by them and completely controlled to serve their will; Aro, Marcus, and Caius.

I stuffed the papers in my shirt and ran for the stairwell. I was stuck on this mountain without any way to escape. I didn't know how to drive or fly a machine and the only way off would be to climb. I rushed down the stairs, tripping and stumbling as my feet tried to move faster than my brain would allow.

I wanted to scream to all the cities that they were being manipulated by evil Tenders and they were free from war and possible occupation. My people had been kept as slaves because they wouldn't agree with the evil men trying to take over the world. We had figured things out and had been moved into the underground because of it.

I tried to listen for the guard but I couldn't hear anything. I had to open the door and if I saw him, my only hope was to run. I took a deep breath and slipped through the door. Nobody was around so I ran to the edge of the landing pad and onto the rocks. It took the remainder of the night to make my way down the mountain. The rising sun was burning my eyes but I continued on.

I made it to the bottom of the mountain and began to run across the open expanse. Rising dust began to form on both sides of me, growing taller as the vehicles rushed toward me. I screamed and tried to run faster but I was totally surrounded within seconds.

I fell into the dirt and cried as I beat my fists on the ground. How did this happen to us, how were a group of men able to ruin an entire society of people? It was beyond unfair and I couldn't stomach the thought of going back underground.

Someone grabbed me around my waist and lifted me easily into the air. I gave a half hearted effort to fight, but it was a lost cause. When I was strapped into a vehicle the papers crumpled noisily. A guard stuck his hand down my shirt and pulled out the documents. It was over, I had failed.

I was taken back to Aro's office and tossed again onto the circular rug. He stood over me and glared down with a sneer. "You are quite elusive, aren't you slave?"

"You're nothing but a fraud," I said without emotion. "You lock us underground because we are so much more than you will ever be."

"Everyone enjoys the world I have created for them, you will too, soon," he said with a laugh.

"You have no soul," I said and then spit at him. Several men took a step toward me but Aro held up his hand to stop them.

"She isn't a threat to us; she's only a gnat that needs to be sent back to the garbage heap." He snapped his fingers at someone and said, "Cleanse her mind, twice."

"No," I screamed and tried to run, but hands were all over me, pulling me into another room where I was strapped to table.

I looked at the young men making preparations and tried to reason with them. "Don't you see what is going on? They are messing with your DNA, they've made everyone sterile, dependant on them to create a child so it can be programmed with genetic weaknesses."

Nobody paid any attention to me and continued on with their work. I looked up at the ceiling and cried, "There isn't even an Overlord. He died centuries ago and you are only programmed to believe he still exists."

Again, I was simply ignored. I finally spoke softly and said, "The Kosars don't even exist."

The room froze and everyone turned to look at me. I shook my head and said with an air of defeat, "Have you ever seen a soldier or any members of a so called army?"

They all looked at each other uncomfortably as I continued on. "The war with the Kosars keeps the people united as Aro, Marcus, and Caius takes more and more control. One day it will be too late and you'll all be slaves."

"She's a spy for the Kosars," one man surmised and I shook my head and laughed. I couldn't be a spy for a race of people who didn't even exist.

"I'm nothing but a slave, same as you," I said.

"We are guards of the Overlord," one man yelled forcefully.

"Have you ever seen him, because I've been in his office and he is only a mirage, a shadow made by a projector," I informed them and they looked back and forth at each other again.

The guard stepped closer to me and looked down with pure hatred. "Don't speak your lies any longer. If you talk again you'll be beaten."

I realized I had failed to obey them last time and it was why I had received a beating. I looked back at the ceiling and remained quiet. I thought of Edward and began to cry knowing I had delivered him into Tanya's hands. I would have to do everything all over again, meet my people, remember Edward, and find a way to escape. It seemed like too much and I wasn't sure I had the strength to do it all over again.

Something was attached to my head and I closed my eyes and pictured Edward. I brought forth his smiling face and remembered his soft kisses and words of love. I began repeating over and over, "Remember Edward, remember Edward, remember Edward….."

I should have been happy they were willing to erase my mind and not simply kill me, but there was a small portion of my heart that wished my life would end. If I lost all my memories the life I would end up living would be a sham, nothing I would have chosen, but forced upon me.

I would mate with a man I was paired with because our DNA would produce the weakest offspring. I would be summoned to the surface to wait on the desires of a people who feared a war with nonexistent people. I would watch my children be controlled as they ingested a poison with every meal. A part of me wanted to die.

A jolt of electricity surged through my body, lifting me high into the air as I arched in pain. I continued to focus on Edward and yelled out his name through clenched teeth. Another jolt hit me and my vision of Edward flickered in and out. I continued my mantra as I fought to remain conscious. The next surge sent my body into convulsions. I couldn't form any words but I kept his image in my mind.

The final dose plunged me into darkness where my own heart struggled to keep a steady beat. I had flashes of nothing but light run through my head and then everything went black. There was no more Bella and no more Edward.

I was loaded into a transport and driven to the tunnels. Felix laid me on the ground in the small cavern and removed all of my clothing before dressing me in a dirty shift dress. He never looked at my back to see the writing. He sat a bag with soap and a towel against a bush and drove off through the dim light of the illuminated walls.

I laid there for ten hours, twice the normal amount of time before my eyes fluttered and finally opened. I looked up at the rock ceiling above me with no idea where I was or who I was.

I had tasted freedom, found my love, renewed my friendship with Alice and unraveled the deception of the Overlord, but none of that existed anymore. I was a slave, trapped underground and that was all I would ever be.

I stood and made my way over to a pond and felt the water with my toe. It was warm and inviting but something kept me from entering the water. I saw the soap and towel and quickly removed my dress and scrubbed it clean. A loud noise sounded and water sprang forth making a beautiful waterfall. I stared at the water and felt the urge to run, so I put my dress back on and returned to the cavern until I heard a vehicle coming from the tunnel.

11 **Returning**

A large man had insisted I head down a long tunnel and I could hear people as I drew closer. I was afraid, but hopeful they could tell me what was happening. I stepped into a large cavern filled with people and watched them interacting with one another.

A young man noticed me and came quickly to my side, "Bella, thank God, we thought you were dead."

He took my hand and pulled me forward. He seemed to know me so I went willingly. Several people called out my name and welcomed me back, but I didn't recognize them. My heart was pounding in my chest when I was set at a table and people gathered around me.

A man approached and hugged me tightly. "Bella, I am your father, Charlie Swan. We are slaves of the Overlord and…."

I grabbed my head in pain and cried out loudly. I felt like someone punched me between the eyes and I recoiled away from my father.

"What's wrong with her?" someone asked.

"I don't know," Charlie answered. "Bring her something to eat."

I was brought a tray of food and ate it all down quickly. I began to feel better and started asking questions. I was shown a book and a handsome young man pointed at his name and said, "I'm Jake."

I looked up at his face and he gave me a warm smile. He made me feel safe and I smiled back at him. I couldn't think of a single memory of Jake, but something seemed familiar about him, or maybe I desperately wanted there to be a connection.

He took my hand and led me on a tour. The caves were massive and the tunnels were confusing. When we made our way through the eating room he got me a protein bar to eat. He explained the mating chambers and I could feel my face blush.

When the tour ended he asked if I wanted to swim with him. I nodded and followed him to a large pond. He removed his clothing and waited for me to do the same, assuring me we had done this before. I pulled off my dress and headed to the edge of the water.

"Bella, what's on your back?" he said and I tried to look over my shoulder.

He came up behind me and looked closely. "Oh," he said, "I guess it was only a shadow, it's nothing."

He pushed me forward into the water and I sunk underneath the surface and let all the grime wash off my body. He swam around me as we chatted comfortably. He was funny and liked to tease. I found myself falling for his charm.

Another couple entered the area and Jake reached for my hand and called out to them. "Angela, this is Bella, she just returned today and you two used to be great friends."

I smiled at the shy woman who seemed very confused by everything around her. I understood that feeling and when she entered the water I swam up to her.

"Does it get easier?" I asked her.

"I'm so afraid of doing something wrong and receiving pain," she said with sad eyes.

I wondered what I had done to deserve the pain I received earlier but I remained quiet. She watched Jake and the other man talking and leaned in to speak softly to me. "I feel weird knowing I loved Eric but can't remember it."

"Did you sleep in the mating chambers last night?" I asked her, feeling my own weirdness regarding Jake.

"No, but we're going to tonight. I'm terrified," she admitted. I thought she was afraid of having sex with a stranger but she continued with her statement. "What if Eric is disappointed in me?"

I had no words to comfort her as I looked over a Jake's perfect body. I was attracted to him physically, but felt nothing on the inside for him, only fondness for a kind man. He looked up to see me staring and winked at me before flexing his thick muscles. I laughed and his smile widened as he swam closer and pulled me into his arms.

Water began to fall from the high cliff and Jake pulled me under the stream as I screamed and tried to wiggle away. We were laughing and playing. He held my nude body tightly as I squirmed and I could feel the effect I had on him. He suddenly lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me as we both continued laughing.

"You're really back now," he said as he ran his hand down my face. I looked into his dark eyes and felt my pulse quicken.

"I wish I could remember everything about you," I told him.

"We have time," he said and kissed me again before pulling me under. We swam for quite awhile and then dried off and joined the others for the lunchtime meal. I felt better with every bite I took and opened my mouth for Jake to toss grapes from across the table. We acted silly and childish but he made every moment of the day fun.

When nightfall came I was sad to leave his presence. He told me there was no talking during sleeping hours so I got into the cot next to him and turned to face him. He looked over and I stuck out my tongue at him. He crossed his eyes and made a funny face and I laughed too loudly. I covered my mouth with my hand as I tried to contain my laughter; Jake gave me a toss of his head and held up his blanket for me to join him.

I scurried over to his cot and lined up my body with his. He spoke into my ear and whispered, "You're a nut."

I smiled up at him and he kissed me several times before pulling me to his chest and holding me tightly. I could hear the beating of his heart and smiled as I drifted off to sleep.

Jake became my comfort in a world I didn't understand. I began making friends with the people he associated with and my life was relatively happy. We went to the mating chambers on the forth night after I had returned. I was shaking with nerves but Jake was tender and loving. Things really began to look up when my mother returned.

We had to be introduced to each other again, but my father worked very hard at reacquainting her with friends and family. In a few weeks we were the model of a loving family. I was working with her in the kitchen, stirring a bowl full of eggs when I suddenly ran to the trash can and vomited profusely. Renee held back my long hair until I felt well enough to sit.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what hit me," I said as I held my stomach.

Renee smiled and said, "Maybe you are with child."

I looked into her eyes and returned her smile. "I hope so," I told her and then ran off to find Jake. We had worried about one of us being summoned, but having a child would guarantee we would be together for at least two years.

I found him working his way through a science manual with a man who had recently returned. I tapped him lightly on the shoulder and he turned to look at me. I leaned over to speak into his ear and whispered, "I may be pregnant."

He jumped from his chair and held me in his arms as he twirled me in circles and laughed loudly. I held his face with my hands and kissed him deeply. I could imagine a tiny baby with his dark skin and hair and hoped I was really expecting.

The nausea became a huge problem and it was hard to keep food down. I was starving all the time but much of what I ate would come back up. Jake and I were lying in a mating chamber sleeping soundly when a face came into my mind. It was a handsome man smiling at me. His green eyes looked at me with love and I smiled at his pale face.

I woke feeling anxious and a bit panicked. Jake rubbed my back when I sat up and said, "What's wrong, you look upset?"

"I had a weird dream," I said and his face became grave.

"You're dreaming again?" he asked me with a strange voice.

I thought back and couldn't remember having a dream before. "I had dreams before?" I asked him and he nodded, "About what?"

"A…I'm not sure, we never talked about them," he said and something told me he was lying to me. I tried to go on with my day as if nothing was wrong. I was tired from the lack of food and didn't have much energy for anything.

I went with my mother to the bathing pond and when I stepped into the water I instantly recoiled away. My breathing became erratic and I couldn't force myself into the water. I was shaking and the women put my dress back on my body and took me to Jake. He sat me in a chair and forced me to eat some food. I spent the rest of the day on my cot as he cared for me and fed me bites of food throughout the day.

By that night I felt much better. My stomach was tolerating the food in small portions and my anxious feeling began to wane. The following morning I was able to bathe with ease. I could tell how worried Jake was and it felt good to give him relief.

We went into the mating chamber and I held him in my arms. "I can't imagine watching my children get summoned," I said softly.

"We will have many years with them first," he whispered against my neck.

"Do you have a name picked out?" I asked him, never mentioning what I had been considering.

I could feel his mouth form a smile against my skin and he said, "My mother's name was Rachel."

"Do you remember her?"

"No, only things my father wrote in the book," he said sadly.

"Okay, Rachel if we have a daughter," I said with a big smile.

"What about a boy?"

I thought really hard, trying to imagine our son and what name would fit him. I suddenly blurted out, "Edward."

Jake pulled out of my arms and moved away from me. I didn't know what I had done to upset him, but he seemed hurt by the name. I reached out to touch his back and he shrugged me away. "Jake, why are you angry?" I asked.

"Why do you want that name?" he asked with an accusatory tone. I thought there must have been a man named Edward among us that Jacob had issues with. I wasn't set on the name; it was only something that popped into my head.

"I don't have any connection to the name; it was just a male name that came into my mind. If you don't like it we won't use it," I promised.

"I don't like it."

He moved onto his back and I scooted on top of him so I could see his face. His jaw was tight and I hated to see him so upset. I began kissing his chest and trying my best to apologize for mentioning a name he didn't like. After a few minutes he began to respond and he rolled me onto my back. His kisses weren't tender like they usually were; he was aggressive and acting possessive of my body. It wasn't the Jake I knew and I tried to push him away.

"Jake stop, you're scaring me," I said with tears in my throat. I was hoping the pain would come and he would be forced to move away, but it never came. He took me harshly as I continued to beg him not to. I felt violated by the man I loved.

When he finally fell to his side I sobbed loudly, expecting him to apologize, but he only looked at me and said, "You belong to me Bella, only me."

There was something in the way he formed his words that made me believe I had actually belonged to someone else. Maybe there was a slave named Edward I was supposed to be with, but he died, or never returned from the surface. I planned to check the book and see what I could find out, but I would have to be very careful and not alert suspicion. In one quick moment my feelings for Jake changed and I now feared him.

12 **Fear**

I began making very subtle changes in my behavior. I would eat slowly, causing Jake to leave the eating room without me. I blamed it on my growing belly when I refused to swim with him, and I never initiated going to the mating chambers. My mother helped me make a baby blanket and clothing and I told Jake the needle work hurt my fingers so I wouldn't have to hold his hand.

I never dreamed again about the handsome man and I searched the book for anyone close to my age named Edward, but found nothing. One day I was bathing with the women when I asked Angela and Jessica about it. Jessica was large with child and we spoke often of our pregnancies.

"Do you remember anyone named Edward?" I asked her.

Angela shook her head and Jessica looked around the room before whispering, "Mike told me Jake said Edward was your owner above ground."

I gasped and finally understood Jake's anger. He thought I was thinking fondly of a man who kept me as a slave. Surely I didn't have feelings for anyone so cruel as to enslave me.

Jess moved even closer so Angela couldn't hear and said into my ear, "Jake said you used to dream of him."

The image of the handsome man with green eyes came into my mind and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I knew it should be fear I felt, but it was excitement. I shook my head and swam away so I could think alone. Jessica would question me thoroughly if she felt there was anything to dissect.

I had been gone for nine months and then returned to the surface after three months, but stayed only a week. Maybe my captor did love me and wanted to bring me back, but what went wrong? I was comforted to know I was carrying Jake's child and would not be summoned for two years. I finally dressed and went to find Jake. He didn't smile when I approached and I wondered how long that had been happening.

"I'm so sorry," I said with tears in my eyes. "I thought you were jealous over another slave, but it was my captor who was named, Edward. I could never love someone so cruel, it is you I love, Jake."

"Do you remember him?" he asked with pain in his eyes.

"No, I don't," I said truthfully.

He pulled me to his chest and kissed my head tenderly, the way he used to before my dream. I held onto his waist and buried my face in his body and inhaled the man I loved. He leaned his tall body over to kiss our child and I laughed at the sight of my large stomach between us.

Things got better after our moment of understanding. I began thinking of names for a baby boy and prayed it would be a girl so it would be simple. I was lying on my cot asleep when someone shook my arm. I looked up to see Angela standing over me. She whispered, "Jessica's time has come."

I wanted to be at the birth to know what I would be in for in several weeks. I followed Angela to a medical room and saw it filled with other adults. Mike looked terrified and I rushed to Jessica's side. Tears were running down her face and she grabbed my hand tightly.

"I don't want to do this, Bella. It hurts too much," she said in a panic. The force of her hand squeezing mine caused actual pain and I had to pry her hand out of mine.

"You'll be fine," I promised her and she suddenly screamed out in pain.

The older women in the room seemed just as ignorant as I was, having long forgotten giving birth in the past. The men who served as our doctors studied the medical journals each time they returned, but they were by no means proficient in saving lives.

I watched the lengthy process and became terrified of my turn. There was so much blood and Jessica screamed and cried through everything. I made a vow to try and be strong no matter how badly it hurt. Her daughter was finally born and we all cried with joy.

The baby was named Joy and Mike held her with pride. She had his fair hair and wide face and I grew more excited to have my baby arrive. We all left to give them privacy and I ran to find Jake eating in the kitchen.

I rushed over and sat my large body on his lap and kissed him hard. "Jess and Mike have a daughter," I announced.

"How are they?" he asked and I blew out a deep breath before answering.

"It was intense. Man, I'm terrified."

"The book says your mother had an easy birth and mine did too, you'll be fine," he said to buoy me.

"Well, I can look at the bright side and know I won't remember if the birth is awful," I said and Jake laughed along with me. He leaned in and kissed my cheek and I felt pain shoot up my face. "Ow," I said and rubbed my cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked and looked at me with concern.

"Nothing, I have a sore tooth," I told him, "It will pass."

I finally moved to my own chair and ate breakfast as usual, but I chewed on only one side. The last few weeks of my pregnancy passed quickly. Jake was very attentive, giving me feet massages and rubbing my back. I had a hard time sleeping due to the extra weight and my tooth continued to ache.

Billy was summoned to the surface and it devastated Jake, he wanted his father here for the birth. I asked if we should name the child Billy if we had a son and Jake told me he would think about it. I couldn't stop the name Edward from screaming in my mind, but I kept quiet about it.

I was bathing with my mother, needing her help in and out of the water when she said something to upset me. "I was talking to your father about the war, and he said you returned with something written on your back about it."

"About the war?" I asked her. I heard little bits about it, but never thought too much about what led to our captivity. I couldn't do anything about my circumstance so I didn't bother learning more.

"He said I told him you had the words, _remember war_, written on your back," she informed me.

"Remember what about war?" I questioned and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Your father thinks you may have been taken by some enemy and that was why you were kept so long. You returned very beaten, so you must have been held captive."

Her words sent a shudder through me. The handsome man who kept me as a slave had beaten me. I wished for a moment he would have to face Jacob, his muscles and fighting skills would teach the awful man a lesson.

"I'm not sure I want to ever live above ground. I think our people will be persecuted even if the Overlord frees us. The other people are cruel," I said with conviction.

"I doubt we could ever live among them as equals," she mused. "We are weak people."

I pictured Jessica crying out in pain and knew what my mother meant. Surely woman above ground gave birth bravely. I wanted to be able to do it without screaming so badly. I wanted to prove I could be strong, too. But I would have to only wait and see.

I woke one morning with a terrible pain in my back and in my mouth. I waddled with difficulty to the bathing pond and sat in the warm water for relief. When I finally came to eat my pain was worse and I only drank some milk. Jake watched me closely throughout the morning and his constant staring drove me crazy. I finally went to the sleeping room and tried to rest. My mother brought me food at lunchtime but I refused it. By dinner Jake insisted I try to walk around a bit. We went to join the others for dinner but my mouth was in constant pain. I lied and told him I thought the baby was coming soon and wanted to lie down.

He escorted me to the medical room and I went to sleep on the cot as a doctor kept watch over me. It was late into the night when I woke up with a tearing pain in my pelvis. I gasped and grabbed my stomach which turned hard as a rock.

The doctor rushed over and showed me how to breathe and sent someone for Jake. He ran into the room and right to my side. I looked at him with wild eyes but kept my mouth tightly shut to contain my cries.

He put a cool cloth on my head and I tried to concentrate on breathing slowly. I did everything I could to focus on my baby. I pictured her in my arms suckling, or bouncing her in the bathing pond as she squealed with laughter. I could see her dark hair falling around her shoulders and a big smile on her face, similar to Jake's.

The more I relaxed the less painful it became. I began at my toes and willed my body to release the tension. When I got to my head I said silently, "Ignore the pain."

I heard words in my head coming from a voice different from Jake's. It was spoken softly as if we were intimate lovers sharing whispered moments. "I'll love you forever, don't forget me."

My eyes shot open and I looked at Jake with a stunned expression. He tightened his hold on my hand and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Tell me you love me," I said quickly, needing to compare the voices.

"I love you," he whispered and it was nothing like the voice from my head.

I began to lose focus and the pain became overwhelming. I felt tears fall from my eyes and back into my hair, but I managed to keep from screaming out. The women helping, along with my mother, held my legs up as I pushed with all my strength. I was growing weak quickly from lack of food and Jake had to hold me up so I could continue to push.

I felt tremendous pressure and then searing pain right before my baby slid from my body. A loud wailing could be heard and Jake said with a smile, "A boy, we have a son." He kissed me and I turned my head due to the pain in my mouth. I held out my arms for our boy and they laid him on my chest.

My mother cleaned him with a warm towel and he looked nothing like I expected. His hair was copper colored and his skin was very fair. His jaw was bold and his mouth wide. His eyes opened into tiny slits and I could see a soft muted green color.

I felt faint as I stared at my son and heard the words of a stranger in my head. He was telling me we would be together forever and I would be free. He promised to protect me and I felt the sensation of a marker forming across my back. Suddenly, I had an image of someone tracing letters on my arm. I watched as the word Edward formed and moved my eyes up to see the face of the man touching me.

I saw his bold jaw and wide mouth with piercing green eyes. His copper colored hair hung wildly around his head and I began to hyperventilate. I was staring at the face of my captor in my mind and saw the face of my son.

The room began to swirl and I collapsed onto the table, dropping my arms from their tight hold on my baby. Jake luckily caught him and stepped away as the women worked to revive me. I could hear them calling my name but I couldn't respond. I was searching my mind for the father of my son.

"What are you naming the baby?" the doctor asked Jake.

"Billy," he responded and pain shot through my brain more intense than I had ever experienced before in my life.

I screamed loudly and grabbed my head as I yelled, "No, his name is Edward."


	5. Chapter 13 thru 15

13** Escape**

I developed a high fever and remained in the medical room for several days. I couldn't focus on what was real and what was happening only in my head. I barely felt a bit of pain when a tooth was pulled from the back of my mouth, but most of the pain resided in the memories coming forward as I fought the fever.

I dreamed of killing the Overlord, flying to his building and plunging a knife into his chest. But my mind kept replaying it, as if I had gotten something wrong. I dreamed of Edward telling me to listen carefully and he would explain to me how to escape, but his words turned fuzzy and I couldn't hear him.

I would often hear the sound of a crying child but I couldn't find where the noise was coming from. I simply drifted from one thought to the next as I struggled to make sense of everything. When my fever finally broke I opened my eyes to see my mother sitting next to me. I groaned and she jumped up and wiped my brow.

"You scared us, Bella," she said softly.

"Where's Edward?" I asked, not sure if I meant my son or not.

"Jake named him Billy," she said in just a whisper and her eyes looked worried.

"Mom, there is a way for us to be free, I know there is. I just can't remember how to do it. When I was above ground I wasn't a slave, I was with a man who loved me."

"Honey, you were very ill. It is the fever talking," she said and looked around to see if anyone else heard me.

"He wrote on my back," I said with conviction. "He told me what to do on my back."

"Your dad said remember war, was on your back. Unless he got it wrong, do you think he got it wrong?"

I remembered Jake asking about something on my back. He had looked closely and then said it was only a shadow. "Where's Jake?" I asked and my mother took a deep breath.

"He's given the baby to Angela to care for," she said without answering my question.

"Can you find him and send him to me?" I asked her and she nodded nervously. I felt something building in my soul, something big, telling me my child would not spend his life underground as a slave. I hoped it wasn't just the wishes of a mother.

I waited for almost an hour when Jake finally came to see me. He looked exhausted and I held my hand out for his but he refused to take it. I licked my dry, cracked lips and spoke with determination. "Jake, our minds are wiped clean because if we remembered we would know how to escape. Someone told me how and I need you to tell me what was written on my back. We were not meant to live under the ground, and if you'll help me our son will live his life as a free man."

"You just want to be rid of me," he said with a bit of anger.

"I don't want to be a slave, to you or anyone else," I corrected. He stared at my face and I pleaded with him. "Do it for Billy, your father and your son."

His shoulders fell in defeat and he came to sit next to me. "It was written in black marker and it said, _Don't eat the food_."

"Thank you, Jake," I said and began to ponder his words. The food must have something to do with our memories. I hadn't been able to eat due to my infected tooth and my memories were getting stronger, but we couldn't survive without food.

"Can you try not to eat for a couple of days and see if you remember anything?" I asked and he looked very nervous.

"We'll be sent pain if we don't eat," he said and I realized I had eaten but only very little when my tooth was hurting.

"Eat the smallest amount you can," I instructed and he nodded in agreement.

"You're very weak Bella, you need to eat."

"I just want some water," I said and felt how dry my throat was. He brought me a glass and I remembered being told to stay out of the water when I woke up. I had a flash of memory, waking up in a tunnel by a big pond.

"Jake," I gasped. "There is a way out of here, a tunnel that leads to the top."

"We aren't allowed to follow the summoned ones, we get hit with pain," he explained and I smiled up at him. "What are you planning?" he asked.

"I haven't eaten, so I'll follow the next person summoned. I know it is our way to freedom, Jake, I just know it."

He brought me some more water and we began forming a plan. It would be unusual for me to be summoned after giving birth, so I planned to stay in the medical room and Jake would tell me when someone headed to the surface. I finally broached the difficult subject of our son. I didn't want Jake to know Billy wasn't his son and worried his lack of food would make him suspicious.

"Can I see our son?" I asked him.

"Do you feel strong enough?" he asked and I nodded enthusiastically.

He left and I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself to hold Edward's son in my arms. I must have loved him; all my memories were of sweet words and promises. I could only hope he would still love me when I got free and brought his son to meet him.

Jake returned and placed the tiny infant in my arms. I looked at his face and felt my tears begin to fall. Jake had to see there was no resemblance to his face at all. He pushed the blanket back to expose Billy's head and said, "He must resemble my mother. My father won't remember to tell me if it's true, but he doesn't look like me."

"He's beautiful," I said and kissed his forehead. We continued to stare at him until he began to fuss. Jake left to get him a bottle and I placed my lips to his tiny ear. "Mommy will find a way to save you, little Edward. I'll take you to your father."

I didn't see my son again, since Angela was caring for him and Jake had to stay with the population to know when someone was summoned. Jake was eating as little food as possible and beginning to dream at night.

After two days and nights he rushed into my room and announced someone was heading to the surface. I jumped up, feeling very dizzy and rushed to the tunnel. I followed a young girl about twelve years old, and tried to mimic her reactions to everything. I didn't speak and I stared forward just like she did.

We came to a large rock and stood patiently for several minutes. It suddenly disappeared and we stepped into another wide tunnel. A beautiful woman stood on the other side dressed in a uniform. She looked a bit baffled by the two of us but finally told me to sit the child on my lap. I showed no emotion as my heart beat wildly in my chest.

We traveled through many tunnels and a when a huge boulder disappeared blinding light enveloped us, causing my hands to come up to my eyes in pain. The girl on my lap cried out and turned her head to my chest.

We were taken to a large holding area and then put on a transport and flown out of the city. It felt familiar and I tried to open my eyes several times but the light was too bright. The young girl next to me began to cry and I ached for her. She was scared and had no idea she was possibly going to freedom.

We landed as the sun began to set and I could look around finally. We were in a large city in a busy area of commerce. A well dressed man and woman stepped forward and looked surprised at the shipment of two slaves. He opened his mouth to protest but the woman elbowed him and he remained quiet.

We were put into a ground vehicle and driven to a large palatial home in the heart of the city. I felt a cold chill, as if I knew this place, but nothing looked familiar. We were taken to a basement laundry room and put to work cleaning a large stack of clothing.

I spoke softly to the young girl as I continued to work. "Don't look at me as I speak. If anyone asks where I am you tell them I am working elsewhere in the house, okay?"

"Where are you going?" she asked with her voice full of fear.

"Nowhere, I just want to look around, I'll be back." I lied to her in case she would be questioned harshly. She wouldn't have any information to offer them if she was pressed.

I found some clothes that looked like they would possibly fit me and stuffed them under my dirty dress. I made my way from the basement and stopped on a stairway to change into the clothing. I was so weak and terribly hungry. A smell wafting through the house made my stomach cry out for food.

I stayed low and moved stealthily down the hallways. I could hear the sound of kitchen noises and made me way to a door and listened closely. I could only hear one person and when the footsteps came toward me I tried to flatten myself against the wall. A stout woman walked past me and I held my breath in hopes she wouldn't turn to look at me.

I rushed into the kitchen and ducked down behind a counter. The smell was making me dizzy and I reached my hand up and grabbed a roll and ate it as fast as possible. I grabbed several more and rushed out the back door into the darkness of night where I changed into the new clothes.

I remained in the shadows and forced myself to walk leisurely down the walkway as people passed me often. Nobody took notice of me but I knew I had to be somewhere safe when the sun came up or I wouldn't be able to see. I headed out of the city to the large forest and stopped when I came to a stream. I ate the other rolls and drank the clear water.

I was too tired to continue on so I found a large fallen tree and climbed inside to sleep. I remained there the whole next day as the sun was out. I dreamed of food and Edward, both of them, my son and my love. I had to come up with a plan and the first thing had to be finding food.

When the sun lowered in the sky I made my way back into the city. I walked into a kitchen where people were coming and going, leaving their tables with uneaten food. I sat at a table with four plates and savored the taste of various dishes. When people began to notice me I got up and left. I walked around and found some debris blowing down the road. It was paper with writing covering it.

I sat against a building and read the different informational stories; many mentioned the Overlord and a war with Kosars. I felt numbness spread through me, as if it should mean something. I also read about some visiting dignitaries coming for a meeting and the name Carlisle Cullen sent a flash of images through my head. He had to have something to do with Edward.

I folded the paper until only the story about the visit was showing and began stopping people on the street to find out where he would be staying. Several people told me about the Tenders house and I began asking for directions there. I was led back to the house I had been placed in as a slave. I stared at the dark house with lights shining through the windows and wished I had stayed put. I moved to the back of the house and changed back into my slave dress and simply walked through the back door.

I made my way through several rooms as I tried to find anything that would spur a memory. I climbed some stairs and walked down a long corridor where sleeping chambers resided. I peeked through several doors and finally found one with a large bed. A body was obviously in the bed and a tuft of copper hair was visible.

I tiptoed to the edge of the mattress and moved the gauze curtain in hopes of seeing the face I had dreamed about. Another body stirred and I saw a woman turn over. She was beautiful, with long strawberry blonde hair. My eyes moved to the other face and I stared down at Edward.

I instinctively moved backward and my foot became tangled in the gauze, sending the curtain crashing down and waking the occupants in the bed.

14 **Blood**

I fell onto my backside with a thud and tried to untangle my feet from the material. I saw Edward sit up and look down at me. He rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing, and leaned over to look harder at me. I tried to crawl backward but he called out my name and I froze.

He looked at the woman in the bed next to him and said, "You said she was dead, that you saw her die."

The woman looked at me with her own expression of shock and she said, "I saw them capture her."

"You didn't say capture, you said they killed her," he yelled and argued with the woman instead of talking to me.

I interrupted and asked softly, "Did I kill the Overlord?" Both heads snapped around to look at me and I began to shake as I asked again. "I think I stabbed him, is he dead?"

Edward shook his head back and forth and I didn't know what memories were real and which ones were dreams. I looked at the pretty woman and felt like there was someone I could trust, but I wasn't sure who it was. I looked back at Edward and asked, "Was there a woman, a friend?"

"Alice?" he asked and I saw the image of a small woman in my mind.

"I think so. I need her, can you find her?" I stood and was ready to run if anyone tried to grab me.

"Bella, are you injured?" he asked and looked at my pants. I looked down to see the blood soaking through my clothes.

The woman gasped loudly and demanded, "Are those my clothes?" Her concern was not over the fact I could have been injured or had just given birth; she was only worried about her clothing.

"I need Alice," I repeated and Edward nodded and got out of the bed. He held out his hand for mine and smiled softly. I knew with certainty I could trust him, so I placed my hand in his. He walked to a door and opened it to reveal a bathing room.

He ran some water and asked the woman to get me some new clothing. She walked to the door, dressed in a very revealing frock and gave me a disgusted glance. "You want me to dress your whore in my clothes. I'm your wife, Edward."

I dropped my head in shame and couldn't look at either one of them. I had been intimate with my owner and shared his bed when he was married. Edward pushed her from the room and shut the door, remaining on my side.

"I won't bathe with you in here," I said sadly.

"I want you to tell me if you are injured," he said and looked at my bloody pants.

"I'm fine," I told him and kept looking at the ground until he left. I cleaned my body and used a towel to tear into strips and used as pads for the bleeding. I wrapped another towel around my body and peeked into the other room.

Edward was close to the door and quickly handed me some clothing. I put on the underwear and bra and then pulled on the dress. I used the woman's brush on my hair and stepped from the room. Edward motioned to a chair and I walked over to sit.

He sat on the edge of his bed and we both stared at each other. He finally said with a struggle, "I…thought you were….dead."

"Was I your slave?" I asked.

"No," he whispered, "You were my love."

"But your wife," I asked and grew angry again.

"May I tell you about us?" he said and I finally nodded. I watched as he thought for a moment and I wondered if he was trying to make up a story. He finally moved onto his knees in front of me and began.

"Bella, you came to live with my family, we're Tenders, rulers of a province, and we treated you kindly. You and I grew very close, you loved another man and I would never try to come between…."

"Jake, I told you about Jake?" I asked with shock.

"You told me you were forced to be his mate," he said sadly.

"So you felt it would be okay to take me, too?"

"No, we fell in love. I wasn't married then; I only married a month ago."

Overwhelming sadness washed over me and I began to cry. He loved me and I had his baby, but I was a month too late. He thought I was dead and he married…wait, his wife told him I was dead. I glanced around the room and said, "Why did your wife say I was dead?"

"Tanya said you forced her to take you to see the Overlord. Do you remember going to see the Overlord?" he asked and his eyes looked anxious for information. He wanted me to remember and I tried desperately to bring forth some memories.

"I think I stabbed him," I repeated and then took a deep breath. "I'm so hungry."

Edward jumped up off of his knees and told me to stay put and he would bring me some food. I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes. I began to drift off and various memories of Edward began to play in my head. I could see him laughing and blowing me kisses. I remembered him feeding me in his bed and tickling me as I giggled in his arms. I formed a smile as I slept, never wanting to wake again.

I felt a gentle tapping on my arm and opened my eyes to see Edward in front of me. I reached out and held his face with my palm and said, "You're real."

"Yes, love," he said and a tear fell from his eye. He picked up a tray and sat it on my lap. It was a feast and I quickly dug into the food. I filled my stomach and then pushed the tray away, feeling gluttonous.

"I need Alice," I said again. I couldn't tell Edward about his son, not until things made sense to me. I wasn't trying to be deceitful, but Jake thought of Billy as his son and maybe it needed to remain that way.

"She's coming with my father in the morning. You can sleep in my bed tonight," he offered and I couldn't believe he would make that gesture when his wife was in the same house.

"No, I'll sleep with the slaves," I said and Edward grew angry.

He stood and took a few steps from me and rubbed his eyes vigorously as he said, "Bella, I have never treated you as a slave, don't insult me by insinuating anything differently."

"I'm not going to sleep in your wife's bed," I said adamantly. I had to admit I was jealous, but I had my own guilt to deal with also.

He turned to look at me with exasperation. "This is…well, I don't know what it is, but she lied to me about you. I can't ignore that. Come on, get in bed and get some rest. I'll get you something to sleep in."

He walked over to a closet and got a thick, warm shirt which belonged to him and brought it to me. I went into the bathroom and changed, holding the shirt to my nose as I smelled him. I returned back to the bedroom and climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers over my body. Edward moved to the chair I had been sitting in and shut off the light.

I sat up and looked over at him. "Are you going to sleep there?" I asked him.

"Yes, nothing will hurt you, I promise."

I desperately wanted to ask him to join me in his bed, but I was sure his wife would want my head for it. I snuggled onto my side and fell fast asleep. I dreamed of the Kosars, and something lingered in my subconscious, something I couldn't quite remember but I knew was critical information.

I woke up the next morning feeling so much more rested. I took another bath and changed back into the dress Edward had given me. Edward wasn't in the chair so I moved to that spot and waited. I heard a loud scream and footsteps running toward the room I was in. The door threw open and a tiny, gorgeous woman looked at me and screamed even louder.

She ran from the doorway and collapsed in my arms as she continued screaming and jumping. I laughed at her jubilant expression, causing her to kiss my cheek several times. "We thought you were dead," she reiterated.

"Edward's wife lied," I reported, making sure to place the blame where it truly belonged.

"Did you see the Overlord?" she asked and sat on the arm of my chair.

"I think so, I think I stabbed him, but I'm not sure."

"You would be dead if you hurt him," she told me. "Oh guess what, Jasper and I have a daughter."

It was the perfect opening to tell her about my son, but I had no memory of her child even though I may have already seen her. I was grateful she brought up the subject of babies so I could gain some medical information.

"Did you bleed for long after the birth?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that your memories….anyway, we don't give birth, our children are processed from our DNA."

Her words echoed in my head as if it was something I had heard before. I couldn't place the familiarity of her words but I knew she had talked to me about this before. I leaned in closely and asked, "Does Edward have children?"

"No," she said. "He married Tanya to unite the provinces. So much has happened since you left. The Kosars have taken over another province and there are fractures in the unity of the Tenders. I'm afraid another war will break out soon. It is important for my father to gather his allies."

I took a deep breath and tried to remember what it was I knew about the Kosars. I finally asked, "Was I captured by the Kosars?"

"No, you would be dead. They don't keep prisoners. Tanya's sister joined them, but she may be dead and we just don't know it."

"I think I know something about the Kosars, but I can't remember," I said and pounded on my forehead angrily.

"The others are in the conference room, let's join them," Alice said and I stood to follow her downstairs where several people were gathered. I saw Edward, but Tanya wasn't in the room.

Edward rushed to my side and smiled widely. "Did you enjoy your talk with Alice?"

"I like her," I said and he touched my back lightly and led me to a couch. We sat next to each other and Alice introduced the family. None of them looked familiar and Edward's brother scared me with his large size and intense stare.

Jasper was holding an infant and Alice pulled them closer. She took the baby from his arms and looked directly into my eyes. "Bella, this is my baby, Andrea."

I ached for Billy and felt tears sting my eyes as I held my arms out for the child. She placed her in my arms and I looked down at her beautiful face. I rocked her back and forth and found it odd that Alice didn't carry her in her body.

That thought triggered a memory. It came in a short burst and I gasped loudly and jumped up to stand. I had information that would change the state of affairs for all the people who lived above ground. I knew with certainty that the Kosars didn't exist. I wasn't sure how I knew, just that I knew it with every fiber of my being.

I turned to Carlisle and said, "There are no Kosars, they don't exist. I found out, maybe when I went to see the Overlord, but I know they are not real."

The room was totally silent and Alice looked at me with wide eyes. She glanced back at where I had been seated and then looked down at my dress. "Bella," she asked softly. "You're bleeding, did you have a baby?"

15 **Convincing**

I didn't know what to say and made sure not to look at Edward. I remained stoic as the others looked at the place I had been sitting and then back at me. I was humiliated, not knowing how to handle woman things and not sure if any of the women in the room could help me.

Carlisle took hold of my arm and said, "Everyone out of the room, except Esme."

"I'm not leaving," Edward said and stood to come closer to me.

"I didn't give you a choice," Carlisle said to his son with authority. Whatever he wanted to talk to me about he was adamant nobody except his wife hear it. They all reluctantly left the room and I looked at Carlisle in fear. He had the appearance of a gentle man, but anyone in charge of an entire province would have to have a strict side.

Esme came over to put her arm gently around my shoulder. Carlisle spoke softly. "Bella, Esme gave birth to our children, they were some of the last births allowed. Did you have a child?"

I nodded as tears formed in my eyes. I was grateful Esme would be able to help me. Carlisle took a deep breath and asked, "Was it Edward's?"

I wasn't sure if it was safe to tell him yet, so I kept the information to myself. "We are assigned mates to breed with, my baby is with Jake." I told him the truth without actually giving him the information he needed.

"Okay," he said. "Your people receive special enzymes to make it possible to survive underground. We don't carry those enzymes, so it isn't wise for our two peoples to have a child. We have no idea what special circumstances a child like that would need."

I began to feel sick. My child could have problems because I mated with someone above ground. I looked at Esme and said, "I need your help. I don't understand what is going on with my body."

She gave me a gentle hug and led me up some back steps to the room she was staying in. I sat with her for over an hour and she told me how to take care of myself and how long the strange things happening to me would last. She gave me some supplies and got me some clean clothing. I felt much better when I returned with her downstairs.

Edward came to my side and looked at me with a curious expression. I know he needed to hear from me if I had a child, but I was not ready to talk about it. I returned to the previous subject…the Kosars. "What is beyond your lands?" I asked.

"The Overlord controls twenty areas, each ruled by a Tender. We are formed into a circular formation and the lands beyond our borders are owned by the Kosars," Eleazar explained.

I shook my head adamantly. "There is nothing beyond your borders. It is only open, empty land. Have you ever seen a Kosar?"

"I have seen the dead bodies they have sent home to us," he yelled angrily.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You've seen their armies….or just the various bodies who could have died in a number of ways." Everyone stared at me but I continued on. "You're Tenders, have you ever gone to the battle lines to see the troops, do you even know anyone who fights in the war?"

"Tenders would be in danger if they went to the battle lines," Carlisle said.

"Then send your sons or someone you trust. There is no war, because there are no Kosars. Carlisle, listen to me, why would they insist you take a slave?"

"She's traceable," Jasper said and everyone turned to look at him. "Slaves only stay for a couple of months because it becomes harder to track them the longer they are above ground. Bella was placed as your decoy so the Overlord could keep track of you, Carlisle."

I interrupted yet again and added another twist to the mix. "Has anyone seen the Overlord since I left? I think I killed him."

"He doesn't attend council meetings in person. He is on speaker, and yes, he has been present for each council meeting since you left."

"Bella," Edward said and took my hand. "The longer you are here the more clear your memories will become. In a few months you'll remember everything."

My mouth fell open; I couldn't stay for a few months. I had to get back to my son and set my people free. I didn't have the luxury of a few months. I began shaking my head as I backed toward the door. "There are no Kosars, but you need to help me free the slaves. There is a real war coming, but it isn't coming from beyond your borders, it is coming from underneath the ground."

Emmett was pacing wildly around the room and finally spoke up. "If she's right, we have been played, but for what reason?"

"Why would the Overlord make us believe we are at war? It doesn't make sense," Rosalie said and gave me a disgusted look. I could tell she didn't believe me, but I really didn't care what she thought of me, it was Carlisle I needed to convince.

"Just send someone to the border, if I'm wrong I'll go home in peace. But, if I'm right you have to help me free my people," I said and looked around the room for agreement.

Carlisle turned to Eleazar and said, "Let me send my boys, I trust them." Both men nodded in agreement and I felt a huge sense of relief.

The men sent the women to eat as they came up with a plan. I had to wear some glasses to block the sun since we sat at a table on the back lawn. Alice let me hold her daughter and I missed Billy more as the moments went on. When we were finished eating I leaned over to Alice and whispered, "Where's Tanya?"

"Running away with the Kosars I hope," she said with a giggle and I wondered if she would ever believe me.

I yawned and Esme rose to come to my side. She rubbed my shoulders for a moment and suggested I lie down and rest for a bit. I liked her idea and followed her into the house and back to the bed I had found Edward in. I looked at her and asked, "Won't it anger Tanya if I sleep in Edward's bed?"

"This is a guest room, dear. Tanya and Edward live with us."

Her words stung and I looked away so she couldn't see a reaction. I had to realize he truly belonged to someone else, as did I. I crawled into the bed where I could smell his scent lingering and pulled the pillow into my arms as I dreamed of loving him. I wanted to believe there was a way for us to be together as a family, but my first task would be to get my Billy out of the ground where he could grow healthily.

I felt the mattress dip and opened my eyes to see Edward lying next to me. His face looked serious and when he reached out to hold my cheek I could see his hand was shaking. I wanted to smile but my pounding heart kept me from doing it.

"Bella, are you a mother?" he asked softly.

I swallowed and stalled for a moment or two before saying, "Edward, I remember some things, but not everything. I know I love you, but I only have bits and pieces of us together."

"One night we were lying in my bed and you told me about an owner who hit you for laughing too loudly. You were only eleven and dropped a bowl of mix, you didn't cry, you laughed. I think it was the moment I fell in love with you. You have such a wonderful laugh and I think it is the most amazing sound in the world."

"I don't even know who I am," I said. "You know more about me than I do."

"I'm going to the border and if you are right hell's going to break lose. I want you to do something for me," he said and let his eyes drop so I couldn't see directly into them.

"Anything," I promised.

"I want you to go back underground where you'll be safe."

"Edward, my people can help. We want to be free and we will help the Tenders who will let us."

His eyes moved back to mine and he asked the real question he wanted answered, "If you are free can you leave Jake?"

"If I'm free can you leave Tanya?" I asked him.

His jaw tightened and he said with a tense voice, "She lied to me about the most important thing in my life; there is nothing I feel for her now."

"I'll make you a deal," I told him and hoped desperately he would go along with my proposal. "Let me go with you to the border, if there are no Kosars I'll go back to my people and prepare them for war."

He stared for a moment and finally nodded in agreement. I leaned in to kiss him and when our lips connected the sound of an infant crying filled my mind. Edward pulled back and looked around in shock, "What was that?"

"What?"

"Did you hear a baby?" he asked.

I gasped and covered my mouth. "It was in my head," I admitted.

Edward looked at me and then leaned over to kiss me again. The crying stopped and it sounded as if a baby was suckling, with gentle moaning. I pulled away from him and wondered if there was any way possible it could be Billy we were hearing or if it was simply Andrea from another room.

"Did you hear anything?" he asked.

"No," I lied.

He seemed disappointed and I told him to tell me the plan for going to the border. We would leave in the middle of the night and travel underwater for most of the way. We would switch to animals and separate to check three different troop locations. If we found nothing we would make a full days travel into the land beyond and see if there was anything there.

Edward and I ate dinner and changed into travel clothes before snuggling together. "Tell me about yourself," I said as I closed my eyes against his chest.

"I love to read, play music, and enjoy the outdoors. We used to spend hours in the forest around my home. There was a certain meadow you loved to visit. You would lie among the wildflowers and talk of falling in love. It took me so long to admit to you that I was in love with you. I was terrified you would want Jake."

"I told you I didn't choose Jake. It is forced upon us."

"I know Jake loves you," he said and my eyes opened to see if he was kidding. "You told me of things you would do with him. I could tell he loves you very much."

"If you trap an animal in a cage and it plays with a ball to ease the boredom, it doesn't mean it loves the cage. We meet each other over and over again, so nothing old or learned continues on. It is the greatest of all violations."

"So if you become free, totally free, would you want me?"

I thought about his question. There was so much of this world I had no idea about. Edward was a great man to a slave, but I had no idea what kind of man he would be to a free woman. He married Tanya, and she seemed awful to me. Maybe he wouldn't want me as a free woman; I could be very stubborn and obstinate. But I still needed to tell him about his son, and let Jake know Billy wasn't his. The stress could ruin us.

"I want to be able to truly see freedom before I speak of being free. It would be too hard if I had to walk away from you and go back underground."

"We are not going to be apart again," he said and tightened his arms around me and pulled me back to his chest. I let my mind believe this was where I would remain forever, in his arms. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of his deep breathing and ached for my son.


	6. Chapter 16 thru 18

16 **Relations**

We set off at midnight. Emmett seemed almost giddy about the quest, but Jasper kept him in line by reminding him of the graveness of our mission. Edward held onto my hand tightly and only seemed at ease when I was right at his side.

We got into a large bubble that rolled into the water and across the sea floor. I had short bursts of memories telling me I had traveled like this before. We all remained quiet and when the tension got to be too much Edward would give me quick kisses. We both smiled and I tried not to get my hopes up that freedom was close at hand.

The sun was beginning to rise when we rolled out of the water and onto dry land. I put on my glasses and stepped out of the bubble and saw three large animals tied to a tree. "What are those?" I asked.

"Horses, you'll ride with me," Edward said and I began to fear this part of the adventure.

He helped me into a seat and climbed up in front of me. We all separated and rode slowly through the thick forest. I held tightly to Edward's waist and rested my head on his back. After several hours he whispered, "Be on the lookout for troops." He pulled a flag from his pocket and held it high in the air as we rode on.

Not only did we not see any troops, but there were no signs of war. He tapped his ear which held a small receiver and spoke. "Emmett, Jasper, nothing's here." He looked back and me and said, "They didn't find anything either."

I pointed at a large hill in front of us. "Let's go up there and see a great distance." He nodded and gave the animal a swift kick and headed up the hill. We saw a huge valley on the other side bordered by huge mountains. I stared at the majestic beauty and asked, "What's on the top of that hill?"

"It is snow," Edward said. "The cold rain freezes into white powder."

"It's beautiful," I said with tears.

He listened in his ear piece and turned the horse around and headed back into the forest. We met up with Jasper and Emmett and sat together to eat.

"The Overlord is doing this to keep the Tenders from splintering," Emmett said angrily. "We need to gather our allies and present a united front. We need to demand freedom for the slaves and each province the ability to govern separately."

"Aro would never let his people choose freedom," Jasper said and my head snapped up at the mention of the name Aro.

"I've met him," I said loudly.

"Yes, love. He was there when you escaped last time," Edward said and I shook my head.

"No, he was there when I got caught. He ordered my mind to be cleansed twice."

The three men looked at each other and wondered what information I had that would require such extreme measures. They figured it was my knowledge of the pretend enemy, but that would mean Aro knows the truth.

"Aro is a Tender, why would he continue to pay taxes for the war when he knows it isn't real?" Jasper asked. "He would be the first person to object."

"He is in full agreement with the Overlord so maybe they are working together," Emmett surmised.

"Marcus and Caius," I blurted out and looked at the three surprised faces staring back at me. "I know those names, who are they?"

"They are Tenders who support the Overlord in his slavery program," Edward explained.

"Did you tell me about them?" I asked and watched him think for a moment and then shake his head back and forth. I tried so hard to remember something about those names and my frustration was giving me a headache. Edward insisted we head home, not back to the Denalis, but to his home. We climbed back onto the animals and headed off.

It was dark again when we arrived at the home hidden in the forest. The rest of the Cullens were there and Esme made a warm tub for me to soak my sore body in. Alice set some clothes on my bed and I had no idea where she was finding things that fit me so perfectly. I headed back to the common room and joined everyone as we all made a plate of food and sat around the room to eat.

"I have nine Tenders willing to join us, it isn't a majority so will have a huge fight on our hands," Carlisle said.

"We'll join you, my people will fight," I told him proudly.

"I'll go back underground with her to verify the story," Edward said and I looked at him in shock.

He was offering to come underground, where slaves exist. I loved him even more, but there was the issue of Jake and Billy.

"You can't take on Felix," Emmett said. "I'll go."

I liked that idea so much better. My people might be very angry and having Emmett there would keep them calm. Jake would surely want to fight Edward and we couldn't chance breaking an alliance before it even began.

An alarm sounded and the family all jumped up. Edward grabbed my arm, sending my plate flying onto the floor and pulled me down a hallway. He threw me into a room and told me to keep very quiet. I backed into a corner and sat quietly as the sound of loud voices could be heard.

A glass door slid open and Tanya walked in from the back of the house. She walked up to me and smiled, "Don't be afraid, Bella. Everything is going to be fine, come on, let's go find Edward." She held out her hand and I reluctantly took it. She walked with me down the hallway and into the open. "Here she is," she yelled and pushed me into the middle of the room.

Guards grabbed me and hooked a devise around my neck completely paralyzing me. Edward screamed for me and I saw his bloody face reacting with rage. I was taken from the house and placed in a flying machine. We flew to a large city and I was taken into a lab and placed on a table. I looked around and had another rush of memories.

"Oh my God," I screamed as I tried to free my hands from the tethers. "The Overlord is a fake, he doesn't exist. Marcus, Caius and Aro are lying to everyone."

A young guard came over to place something on my head. He looked right into my eyes and gave me a wink. I didn't know what he meant or if he was simply flirting with me. He noticed my confusion and said, "This delivers the electricity to clear your mind. It will make your body jerk and arch." Again he winked at me and I felt like he was trying to tell me something.

I waited until the others left the room and when the machine was activated I only felt a slight shock. I twisted and jerked, pretending to feel the electricity. The process was repeated two more times and the young guard came over to the table and reached up with his fingertips to close my eyes. I let my body completely relax and was carried to a transport.

I peaked to see Felix driving us through the tunnels. He took off my harness and set me on the dirt floor before pulling on my shirt. I tensed and a voice came from behind us, "I don't think that will be necessary Felix."

I looked over to see Emmett standing next to a large pond. He had his feet placed in a wide stance and his hands were pulled into fists. Felix chuckled and stood to face him. They were the same size in girth but Felix was taller. "You should have stayed above ground," Felix said.

"I've been to the border, there is no war," Emmett said and Felix turned to look over at me.

"There isn't an Overlord either, Emmett. I went to the top of the mountain and it is only a shadow made by a projector. Aro, Marcus, and Caius are building an empire they alone will control."

Both men tried to work through my words and what it meant to them above ground so I added more information. "I found the proof. It is on that mountain. The Overlord died centuries ago and they are processing babies to make them subject to subliminal messages. Just like they feed us poison so we can be tracked. They are turning you into slaves and you don't see it."

Emmett let his hand lift and he spoke directly to Felix. "She was right about the Kosars, what if she is right about this, too?"

"What do you want me to do?" Felix said.

"Let me go back to my people and bring us fresh food. Not what we're given now, but food free of the poison they give us to control us."

"Go see my family, Felix. They will tell you the truth. All you have to do right now is let me and Bella pass underground."

Felix gave it some thought before he finally nodded and told us both to climb into the transport. I had to sit on Emmett's lap and the closer we got the more excited I became to see my son. We entered the tunnel and headed quickly to the sound of people. I rushed into the common room and called out for Jake and Billy. Everyone came rushing up to us acting so differently from what I expected.

"Bella, we've been eating very little food," someone said.

"We have some memories," another yelled.

I looked at the expectant faces and began to cry. Jake had been preparing them, showing faith in me and helping them gain control of their own thoughts. I saw him coming through the crowd and I rushed forward. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

"You were right, Bella," he said with emotion.

"Where's Billy?" I asked. He backed away and a woman approached holding a baby in her arms.

I rushed over and took him from her, seeing so much more of Edward than before. I kissed him repeatedly and looked up to see Emmett looking at me. His eyes were wide and he shook his head slightly. I needed to take the focus off of my child so I called out loudly. "Everyone, this is Emmett Cullen, he will tell us what we need to do."

Everyone circled Emmett and he began answering questions about what was going on above ground. Everyone quickly assured him we would fight with them against the evil Tenders. He took some of the strongest men back to the pond to bring in the food Felix promised.

I found my parents and kissed them both. I was so happy to have my son and refused to let him out of my arms. I was changing his diaper on my cot when Emmett finally caught up with me. He walked over and looked down at the baby before him.

"Emmett, meet your nephew, Billy," I said.

"Does Edward know?" he asked me.

"No, I need to tell Jake first," I said honestly.

He looked at me with what I thought was anger and then walked away. I pulled Billy to my lips and kissed his sweet head as I said, "I miss your daddy."

My mouth was still on him when I heard Edward clearly in my mind. "Bella, is that you?"

I gasped and looked around the room, hearing nothing. I put my mouth back on my babies head and said, "Edward, can you hear me?"

"Yes, love. I hear you." I began to cry and remained connected to my son. I couldn't understand what was happening but I knew we were held bound by our son. He fused us together somehow and I was so grateful for it. I had so much I wanted to tell him, but he needed the most important information first.

"Edward, the Overlord is a fake. It is Aro, Marcus, and Caius trying to take over."

"I know, my father is gathering the allies to confront them. Felix contacted us."

"Tell me what you need us to do," I said with hope my captivity was finally coming to an end.

"We'll use your people as surprise back up, but Bella we need to talk about something more important right now. I'm not sure how this is happening, but if the baby is mine he can't survive underground. You need to get him up here."

"Okay, but I need to tell Jake first," I said and held my baby tightly. I told Edward I would be back soon to tell him the plan. I set Billy into his small crib and left the room to find Jake. I had to hurt him, and it was killing me to do it.

17 **Silence**

I searched for two hours for Jake and finally realized he had gone to get food. I sat against the tunnel wall to wait as I tried to come up with a way to tell Jake the news he wouldn't want to hear. I had to make him understand I didn't know when I told him I was expecting his baby. My memories had been erased and I had no reason to think the baby would be anyone else's.

I was drifting off with a smile on my face remembering Edward's voice when the men returned. I jumped up and saw Jake smiling as he came toward me. My heart was heavy and I couldn't hold his gaze. He walked up to my side and said, "Are you waiting for me?"

"Yeah," I said sadly. "I need to talk to you in private."

"Okay, let me take this food to the kitchen and I'll come back, wait right here."

I sat back down against the wall and went over my explanation in my mind. A young girl came running up and said, "Bella, your baby is crying."

I ran to the sleeping room and lifted him from his crib. I whispered in his ear and placed my lips on his head. It was then I could hear Edward screaming for me in my head. "I hear you," I told him and began to feel this was not going to be good news.

"Bella, don't tell Jake about the child," he said in a panic. "He's in a lot of danger; don't let anyone know he is my son."

"Why?" I asked and felt tears begin to form out of fear for my son and my love.

"He is the only child of a cave person and a Tender. He is displaying supernatural powers that….well, there hasn't been anyone like this since the Overlord."

"What do you mean?" I asked and felt my child would spend his life hiding.

"Bella, he has…more abilities, than a normal person. He is meant for greatness and there are those who will want him killed. We have to keep his existence secret."

I knew what he was really saying. Edward and I couldn't be together and I would have to live with Jake in order to keep our son alive. He was destined to rule one day, and that made him a target. He needed to grow up in obscurity before he could come forth and rule. Edward could read my thoughts and I could hear him arguing in his own mind, telling me he would find a way, but this was too important and we both knew it.

For the first time I didn't want my memories. I wanted my mind wiped clean and let it remain that way. I was crying into my child's hair when Jake came up and placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up into his dark eyes, the eyes I would spend forever looking in and constantly wishing they were a different color.

"Are you alright?" Jake asked.

"Yes, I'm just a bit emotional," I lied. "Things are going to change forever."

"We'll be free, Bella. Emmett says they are going to begin moving us into the lands beyond as soon as possible. They are trying to gather the slaves who have been summoned and living above ground right now."

"That's wonderful," I said as my heart broke.

He rubbed Billy's head gently and then looked back at me. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh, um…I wanted to talk to you about finding your father above ground, but I guess Emmett has it handled," I said and tried to smile as my eyes looked away from him. He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe it, but he didn't press me any further. "Jake, I want Billy above ground as soon as possible. Can you arrange it with Emmett for us to go soon?"

"The first group will have a tough time. We have to adjust to the light and build homes for us to live in. Emmett said they have tools to help us, but there will be a lot of hard work to do."

"I'm not afraid of hard work," I said and he leaned down and kissed me.

I watched him walk away and turned to hide my face in my son's body. I sobbed loudly and heard Edward trying to comfort me. "No love, don't cry. You're going to be free soon."

Freedom meant nothing if I couldn't have the man I loved. I was still trapped, but this time it was to save the person I loved the most in the world. I thought of the thing I had been trying to keep out of my mind, but it crept up anyway. "Are you staying with Tanya?"

"Bella, I'll figure something out, I promise," he thought and it told me he would keep her for a cover. "Our son is going to display more powers, we have to protect him. But we are connected forever now, so even though we are apart we will always have contact."

"Edward, he's so beautiful. I wish you could see him," I cried.

"I will, someday I will," he said and I could tell he was crying now.

A group of people came into the room and I placed Billy back in his crib, breaking the link to Edward's thoughts. I went to find my mother and we ate a sandwich together. She could tell I was depressed and tried everything to cheer me up. Emmett finally arrived with a plan. We had to remain in our color groups and we would be snuck out during the nighttime hours.

We all gathered together in the tunnel to make the long journey to the surface by foot. I held Billy tightly in my arms and listened to Edward's dreams. He was holding me in his arms and we were floating in the air as he slowly removed my clothing. I was blushing when Jake leaned over and said, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I said and handed the sleeping baby to Jake.

We began the trek and tried to remain as quiet as possible. There were others helping us, but the exodus would be dangerous. Nobody had ever lived in the land beyond and we had no idea what difficulties would lie before us.

Forty people were in the first group. Most of us were young and strong, Billy was the only infant. We climbed into large flying transports and rose above the city with the lights turned out, flying in darkness. It was several hours before we landed in a barren wasteland.

We hiked for another hour to where tents were set up to shelter us from the sun. Carlisle was waiting with a group of men and I rushed up to hug him. "We owe you so much Bella," he said against my ear but I didn't feel like I was owed anything.

The men were shown how to use the equipment to begin building our own city and several boxes of food was left for us to use. Jake gathered the men and they began plotting out areas to plant and areas to build.

We slept during the day and worked during the night as other groups began to arrive almost weekly. I was so tired and the only time I heard Edward was when he was sleeping. Billy grew quickly, and Jake was such a large man nobody questioned the height of Billy. He began saying simple words and then complete sentences by one year old.

The war was being waged on the political front, with various Tenders trying to expose Aro and his minions. They were working hard to find a provable link between Aro and the fact the Overlord didn't exist anymore.

I didn't understand too much about what was going on because we were so busy trying to survive. My parents never questioned the fair appearance of my son, but Jake's father Billy, did. He would stare at little Billy and then look at my eyes as if accusing me of something. I began avoiding him as much as possible.

We built a large home which we shared with my parents. Most of the cave people were struggling with opens sores caused by the sun. But my son seemed to grow stronger by the sunlight. He loved playing outdoors and he would never squint from the harsh light like the rest of us did.

He was almost three when he came to me one day and said, "Mother, the snow will fall low in the valleys soon, we must prepare for harsh conditions."

"The snow has never come so low," I assured him.

He took hold of my hand and said, ""Mother, I can see it."

I nodded and ran to find Jake. He was working in the fields and I told him we received word from another province to prepare for harsh weather conditions. He ordered all the men to cut extra wood to store for their fires. When the snow came, we were ready.

It was hard for me not to tell everyone my son was a seer and he knew what was best for us. He was still too young and needed my protection. When we were snowed in I lay in his small bed and sang him to sleep. I placed my head on his and heard Edward talking to someone about overthrowing some of the Tenders.

He was speaking eloquently about human rights and self rule. I listened with pride and then whispered, "You are such a great man."

"This is a boring meeting, love, come back later when I can really entertain you."

I laughed and pulled away from my son. I missed Edward so much. I lived with Jake, but we were not lovers in the traditional sense. He was emerging as our leader and spent every spare moment working on the survival of our people. I spent my free time with Billy, helping him learn at his accelerated rate.

Edward kept me apprised on the state of the takeover but things were moving so slowly. One day I was working in the bean field and Billy came running up to me. "Mother, you need to go to the city. I'll come with you."

"What do I need to go for?" I asked him.

"You can bring back sewing material, but it isn't the reason for the visit. I need to meet someone."

I stared at my son who was now five years old and wondered if he knew Jake was not really his father. I didn't know how to respond and he finally said, "It will be okay, trust me."

I smiled and walked back with him toward the house, trying not to touch him so I could keep myself from hearing Edward. I wanted to believe I would see him; it had been so long since I looked into his face. I packed us both a bag and wrote a note, telling Jake I would be back with more material.

I walked with Billy into the forest and to the border where we were driven in a transport into the city. We were dropped off at a large building and Billy nodded for me to follow him. I walked up the steps and stopped when I saw my reflection in the glass.

I looked haggard and too thin. My hair hung without shape down my back and my hands were rough and calloused. "Billy wait," I said and felt my eyes sting with tears.

He looked back at me and smiled. "Mother, trust me," he said and continued on through the door. I walked behind him to a room where he reached up and knocked loudly. The door opened and Alice stood before us.

She screamed and pulled me into the room as she practically climbed into my lap. I cried at the sight of her, so close to Edward but also missing him even more after seeing Alice. "You have to stay at my house, our children can play together. I still have all your clothes too; you can pick the ones you want to keep."

I looked at Billy and smiled knowingly. She turned her head to follow my gaze and I said, "Alice, this is my son, Billy."

She looked at his green eye, strong jaw and copper hair and then looked back at me. I tried to ignore her questioning gaze. "Edward is in the city, he's staying at my place," she said and I only nodded. We headed to her home and I languished in a hot bath, a luxury my home didn't have. I came from the room dressed in one of my dresses and Alice fixed my hair and applied makeup. Billy bathed next and I dressed him in clothes Alice provided. He looked so much like Edward and I was shaking by the time he showed up.

He walked through the door with his head hung and his shoulders slumped. I stood alone in the foyer, about ten feet from him. He took a few steps before looking up and seeing me. My entire body was shaking and I smiled widely.

18 **Ascension**

Edward was frozen in place, afraid to move in case the vision he was seeing wasn't real. I knew exactly what he was feeling as my own heart beat wildly in my chest. He was even more handsome than I remembered, age had improved him.

My chest heaved with a loud sob and he finally took another step toward me. "Am I dreaming?" he asked and I shook my head back and forth. "Is he here, too?" he asked and I nodded.

It was enough to send him tumbling into my arms. He held me tightly, almost too tightly, but I didn't complain. His body was warm and it calmed my nerves to feel him lined up with my own body. I rushed to tell him everything I had kept bottled up for the past few years.

"Edward, I missed you, I think of you every moment of every day, I love you, I want you."

His mouth fell onto mine and we cold both hear the sound of children playing together in our minds. Billy focused for a moment and then said mentally, "I'll give you time alone." And then his mind shut off to ours. It was the first time I realized it was something he could control.

Edward was walking backward down a hallway, pulling me with him as he continued to kiss me passionately. When we got to a closed door he finally pulled away from my mouth. I was gasping to breathe and feeling totally consumed by him. He looked into my eyes and smiled. "May I meet my son?"

I nodded and reached out to open the door. Billy was standing, anticipating our arrival or actually seeing it, and looked at the door. Edward inhaled sharply and walked toward the younger version of himself. Billy closed the distance as he moved forward also. Edward dropped to his knees and held Billy by the face.

I could suddenly hear the joy Edward was experiencing in his mind. He was marveling at the beauty of our son and thankful he got the opportunity to finally hold him. He pulled Billy to his chest and kissed his head repeatedly as he cried for joy.

I was shocked by Billy's thoughts the most. My son had always acted like an adult, but being held by his father put him back into the thoughts of a child. He was calling Edward daddy, and feeling safe from all the responsibility that he knew was heading for him. For the first time he was simply a five year old boy in the arms of his father.

I joined them on the floor and wrapped my arms around them both. We were a family and finally got to act like one. When we eventually parted I sat back on my heels as my two guys spoke to one another. "I'm very proud of you son," Edward said through his tears.

"There is much work to be done, father," Billy said, changing back into the boy who carried the weight of our world on his shoulders.

"Do you know about the gathering?" Edward asked him and Billy nodded.

"What gathering?" I asked in fear.

"The counsel is meeting and we are ready to cast out Aro, Marcus, and Caius. Our people will be ready around their provinces to make sure they are cut off from their armies."

"What should we do to prepare?" I asked and looked at both of them for an answer.

"Move your men to the border and be ready to protect the supporting provinces," Edward said and I nodded eagerly. "One more thing," he added and looked back at Billy. "He'll need to be with me at the gathering."

"No," I yelled loudly and pulled Billy into my arms. "He's just a child, Edward. If there is fighting they will aim for him first."

Edward held onto my face with his hands and said softly as he stared into my eyes. "It is time for him to come forward. I'll protect him Bella, truly I will."

It finally dawned on me what he was saying. It wasn't just the gathering Billy was needed for. Edward was taking possession of our son and moving him into his position as future leader. He would no longer reside in the wilderness with me and Jake. He was headed for castles and people granting his every wish. I looked down at my small son and he smiled bravely up at me.

I knew I couldn't join them. If Jake grew angry at Edward he would convince our men to fight for the other side. I would have to return and make Jake believe I still loved him to keep Billy and Edward safe. I felt like the earth was crumbling out from under me. I was free and still had no control over my life.

Billy wrapped his small arms around me and said, "Mother, I'll go with Alice to get the material. You may have time alone with Father."

All the passion I had been feeling for Edward had left me and only heartbreak remained. I watched Billy walk out of the playroom and I sunk onto the floor with my face against the marble. Edward took my hand in his and said, "Bella, I love you. I love you with a depth I never knew existed. I ached every night knowing you and Billy were in another man's home. I know how this feels, I really do."

"Years from now," I stated softly, "When people read our history and know what we sacrificed, will they care? Will they be grateful, or will they say we were foolish to live so far from love?"

"We're not far from love," he said and joined me on the cold floor. "It is with us constantly. I would give you up over and over again to make you free. I would bury myself underground for the honor of having a child with you. I would live in another galaxy just to have held your body to mine only once."

His words were sweet, just like they always were. I looked at our hands clasped together between us and tried to memorize the look and feel of them. It would have to carry me through all the hard times coming my way. The man I loved completely was taking my son, our son, and I felt so alone.

"You'll keep me in the dark about things," I said honestly, because I knew Edward would want to spare me more pain.

"Yes, I will, but our son won't. He's our link, and I've heard him often," Edward said, letting me know Billy had been in communication with him.

"You know him as a boy full of possibilities, but I know him as the child I rocked and sang to, a baby I comforted and taught how to figure out the world around him. I am so angry at you right now," I admitted.

"Then let's make another baby," he said seriously.

I rolled onto my back in laughter. I knew he was trying to comfort me, but I also knew he didn't want to let this opportunity pass without having sex. I couldn't blame him; I wanted him so badly before everything crashed around me, now I was sad and dashing his hopes.

"My body is yours, Edward. Do with it as you wish."

"Don't make it sound barbaric," he said with his own laugh. I loved his laughter.

I stood and held out my arms. "Going once, twice…."

He jumped up and picked me up in his arms and carried me quickly down the hallway and up some stairs. We entered a beautiful room and he placed me on the center of the bed. He quickly disposed of his own shirt and then joined me in the bed. His forehead came to mine and we were breathing heavily. I didn't know if it was fear making him hesitate or simply savoring the moment, but he kept his hands and lips off of me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, needing to feel every bit of him.

"Tell me what you need," he whispered. "Show me how to love you the way you like."

"I need you to take me, make me feel like I belong to you. You are the master of my body and it obeys your commands."

He finally let go with everything he had. He ripped my clothes from my body as he mastered every inch of me. Nothing else existed except me and him in the large bed. Time even crawled to a stop as we became one. This time I remembered him, the times we had loved in the past, even our very first time when I was a terrified slave that he found worthy of his love.

I forgot about my grief and languished in the feelings he produced, knowing me so well, yet rediscovering everything about me. It felt hopeful and not like we were saying goodbye. I never had to learn patience before, and maybe it was all I needed.

When I cried out for him he screamed my name and dissolved into me. We were joined body and soul for a moment. But, then the moment ended. We were hit with a wedge to separate us regardless of how tightly we hung onto one another. Billy said clearly in our thoughts, "Mother, you must leave soon."

I began to cry and Edward kissed my face and neck as he said the sweet words he always used. They were empty this time, because pain was all I could feel. We dressed slowly and when we walked to the door Edward reached out and stopped my hand from opening it.

"Bella, Billy's life will come before mine. I will offer myself if they capture him," he said. It didn't give me the comfort he meant to give. It only assured me I would lose both of them if something went wrong.

"I won't live without you two," I told him. Letting him know I would follow them in death.

He nodded in understanding and then asked, "What will you tell Jake about the boy staying here?"

"The truth, he's needed to lead the people. This is the only way he can learn to do it."

"Will you be in danger?" Edward asked. I was tempted to tell him I would be beaten and possibly banished so he would fight to keep me here, but that would only hurt Billy.

"I'll be fine," I told him and he moved his hand so I could open the door.

We headed down the stairs and met Alice and Billy in the foyer. Alice handed me a bag full of material and some of my clothing. Her own tears matched mine. I hugged her tightly, remembering our friendship from long ago. She said a quick goodbye and ran from the room.

I looked at Billy and he smiled bravely. I lowered to my knees and held his little chin in my fingers. "I'm going to miss you so much," I told him through my tears. "Listen to your father; he'll take care of you."

"I am only leaving you because it is necessary," he said, sounding so wise for his young years. "A boy will always need his mother."

"Power can be an ugly thing, Billy. Don't let it ruin you, remember where you come from and always do what is right."

He threw his arms around me and spoke only to my mind. "Name her after the morning sun."

"What?" I asked and he stepped away and took Edward's hand.

"You need to go now, mother."

I kissed his cheek and then leaned my face into Edward's neck. He kissed my head several times and I finally turned and walked out the door.

I held my chest as I left the house and got into a waiting transport. I cried the entire way back to the border. My walk to our home was slow and I felt so empty inside. I arrived just as the sun began to rise and Jake woke when he heard me in the kitchen.

He came into the room and looked at me. I stared right into his eyes, refusing to apologize for the errand I had run. I could see the pain he carried, forced to be with someone and I couldn't even be sure he wanted me.

"Where's Billy?" he asked.

"He is attending a council meeting," I said with a strong voice. "He is not a normal boy Jake, surely you've known that."

"My memories have given me the answers I needed," he said softly and I nodded. "Why did you return?"

"The men have to go to the border and prepare to fight. Billy will give me information and I'll pass it to you."

"Did you ever love me?" Jake asked sadly.

"Yes, I did, I just loved him more," I answered truthfully.

He took a step toward me and whispered softly. "Will you love me one last time, before I go and fight for our people?"

I nodded and took hold of his hand to lead him back into the bedroom. I pulled him onto the bed and into my arms. This was goodbye and it felt so final.


	7. Chapter 19 and 20

19 **Forsaken**

The men left for the border and spread out around several provinces. I stayed close to my father and Jake, hearing Billy's mind and sharing the events of the meeting. It started slowly, each Tender making a speech regarding self rule and offering a declaration of democracy. When Aro spoke Billy told us of his deception, detailing his real intent by reading his mind.

Edward stepped forward and announced. "I'm afraid Aro wasn't speaking clearly. He is actually planning to close down the borders of certain provinces, cutting off our people and limiting our availability to food and supplies."

"I will only do what the Overlord asked me to do," Aro complained.

"The Overlord?" Edward asked, "Don't you mean your brother whose voice it is we hear on the computer?"

Aro looked at him with shock.

"The Overlord could read our thoughts, so have him read mine right now," Edward offered.

A voice came from the speaker on the table and said, "You are considering mutiny." The room grumbled loudly and Edward only laughed.

"I think we have proof the Overlord doesn't exist. Those were not my thoughts," Edward announced to the gasping crowd. "But I do want to introduce someone who can read thoughts, Billy."

My heart began to pound and I had to lean over to breathe. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the words I was hearing in my head.

"Son, tell Aro what he is thinking," Edward said with pride in his voice.

"He wants you dead, father," Billy stated.

"Absurd," Aro screamed and the murmuring became louder.

Billy looked at some of the members of the council and began speaking their thoughts. "You are worried that Marcus betrayed you. You are worried about your southern most borders that Aro promised to protect. You Carlisle, are proud of your son and grandson."

His words made me smile and I relaxed a bit.

The group began yelling back and forth at each other and some were planning to kill both Edward and Billy. My son raised his hands and asked for silence before continuing to speak. "I have seen the future, our future. It can be peaceful or bloody, it is our decision. We will spread beyond the borders into the land of the Kosars, and not through war, but through expansion. The Kosars don't exist but the slaves from underground have grown and developed the outer lands. They are prosperous and eager to join us as one."

"He lies," Caius screamed and more Tenders rose.

"We have seen these people and what they have built. They stand ready to fight with us if it is necessary. We have all paid taxes for a war only to line the pockets of Aro, Marcus, and Caius. If it is a war you want gentleman, it is a war you will have."

"If this is true, we have been fooled too," Marcus declared and Billy interjected.

"You have known all along and taken freedom from your people. They have no weapons because you outlawed them. But we have spent the last five years rearming our people. You cannot defeat us and we insist you step down."

Jasper walked into the room and nodded to Billy. My son turned to the council and announced. "The taxes have been returned to your provinces in the exact amounts you have been giving to these deceitful men. It has bankrupted their own people, so we must decided if we will be charitable to them or not."

"Don't punish innocent people for their corrupt Tenders," someone yelled.

"Let their Tenders face their wrath, why should we save them," another yelled.

"Mother," Billy thought, "Troops have been dispatched to the borders. If they are not in Carlisle's colors treat them as enemies."

I looked up at Jake and gave him the news. He rushed out to tell his men and spread the word down the lines. The meeting continued on with loud screaming and posturing. Caius was beginning to soften and his thoughts had him considering joining the alliance. Marcus and Aro remained steadfast in their determination to take over every province. Only three other Tenders remained with them.

The meeting ended with a declaration of war. Edward gave Billy to Emmett to fly him to safety, knowing his transport would be targeted. They flew through heavy gun fire but managed to make it back to their palace in safety. Billy instructed them where to place the troops and every battle was victorious.

The women took on the responsibility of keeping our food growing and our community thriving as the men fought. I went to bed every night listening to Edward and Billy talk about strategies for the next day. I was growing tired and weak from the stress and the constant worry of war.

My father came a few times to visit my mother, but Jake stayed away. I was grateful since I was growing large with child and no idea whose baby I carried. Our men had been pulled deep into the cities and the day arrived when Edward and Jake came face to face.

Jake had moved his men to the edge of the forest to meet up with another compliment. They arrived to find the soldiers exhausted and malnourished. Jake sent his men into the forest to hunt and collect edible berries and mushrooms. When they fed all the starving soldiers they asked to speak with their leader.

Edward arrived and headed to Jake's tent. They gasped at the sight of each other. Jake looked at Billy who remained at Edward's side and then turned away. "Your men are starving," Jake yelled.

"Our supplies have been interrupted. I was working on another route," Edward explained.

I saw just a bit of Jake's inner pain before Billy shut off his mind to me. I was in the dark, and terrified for my son and both Jake and Edward. I waited for my access to Billy's mind to return and it took three days. By this time the armies had overthrown Marcus's and had Aro surrounded. Victory would be in just a matter of days.

Billy was much more careful with what he would allow me to hear and it frustrated me beyond belief. The war had become ugly and personal, with many of the battles requiring hand to hand combat. I worried that Billy was trying to keep me from knowing men had been lost, and I was too afraid to ask him which men.

It was a warm summer night when I sat outside under the stars as I listened to my son talk to prisoners. He suddenly said, "Mother, it's time." My water broke at that moment. I rushed back inside to my own mother and she called for some help.

My labor was easier and faster than the first time and my daughter was born three hours later. I reached for her, seeing her full head of dark hair, with dark eyes and skin. My heart sank and I began to cry. Billy spoke softly in my mind saying, "Mother, you are from the depths of the earth and it is my job to make sure you never return. This child is truly yours."

I kissed her sweet head and announced her name was Dawn, named for the rising morning sun. I listened as Billy called Jake to see him and informed him he had a daughter. He told Jake his daughter was dark with a lot of hair and a smile just like her father's. I cried as I felt the rejoicing in Jake's heart.

It was then I heard Edward, "Congratulations, love."

I was unable to block my thoughts as I cried out my heartbreak, letting Edward hear my disappointment that she wasn't his. He tried to soothe me, but I could hear his sadness too. Billy had seen this, but he didn't warn me. I was terrified about the other things he knew and was keeping from me.

It was nine months more before the opposition surrendered. The war was finally over, but the peace would have to be made a top priority. Billy was busier than ever advising Carlisle who was positioned to become the supreme ruler. Our men began coming home slowly.

My father had been injured and his health was compromised. He slept a lot and it took my mother's constant watch to care for him. Jake was one of the last to come home. He walked through the door and I froze. I didn't feel the urge to run to him, but he held out his arms and I forced myself to do it. I led him to the crib so he could meet his daughter. She looked exactly like him and he smiled as he picked her up, waking her from a deep sleep.

"She looks just like I imagined," he said and kissed her.

"She is a very good baby, she is very even tempered," I said and rubbed her head.

He took a deep breath and walked over to sit in a chair. He finally looked at me and said, "Bella, not everyone agrees with the direction Billy is taking things."

"Why, everyone is free now," I said stupidly.

"We deserve our own province, not to be integrated in with them."

"Jake, we are only surviving out here. Our people need to be at hospitals and universities, we deserve the resources the cities can offer to us," I pleaded but he only shook his head. "We can't pay taxes, we have nothing," I reminded him.

"They owe us restitution, they should pay money to us," he yelled loudly.

"We are all starting new; we all need to make concessions. We can't demand anything right now."

"I refuse to be led by a child, by HIS child," he screamed and I finally understood why it was so difficult for him. But he was letting his own prejudice ruin the future for our people and I couldn't let that happen.

"Don't you dare condemn me," I said angrily. "I was a slave and I rose above it. We would still be underground if love hadn't given me a purpose in life. I stayed with you Jake and helped you free our people. I'm still here," I pointed out.

"Of course you are still here," Jake yelled. "He doesn't want you. He sees you as a slave, a whore he impregnated with a future leader. You are an embarrassment to him, just as you are to me."

He sat there with our daughter in his arms calling me an embarrassment. I remembered Edward growing angry and telling me he had never treated me like a slave. I was stuck between both worlds and had no idea where I truly belonged. I looked around the large house where my parents resided, old and broken. My daughter was here too, but my son was far away at the place I wanted to be.

Jake shook his head and said, "You will not be allowed to take my daughter away."

"Do you expect me to choose between my son and my daughter?" I asked in shock.

"There is no choice," he said with a chuckle. "You have neither."

I began to feel dizzy and I grabbed onto the table. My son was now part of the government, a Cullen who I couldn't even reach if I needed him. My daughter belonged to Jake and he planned on making decisions for her. I had been replaced in both of my children's' lives. Jake came home, but not to me, and Edward hadn't asked me to join him either.

"I can't support either side," I told him through my tears. Taking a stand would mean I had to go against one of my children.

"I don't care what you do," he said hatefully, "But I don't want you here, I want you to leave."

"My father can't travel," I gasped.

"It isn't my concern," he said and continued holding our daughter tightly.

My mother and I packed up a few meager belongings and helped my father onto the porch. I turned to plead with Jake one last time, "Please, let me take Dawn with me."

"She'll never even know your name," he said and slammed the door in my face.

The wind was beginning to howl and we helped my father into a cave for sanctuary. I covered him tightly in blankets and sat against the wall as I huddled closely with my mother. I was back in the earth, hidden in a cave undeserving of the life I thought I had.

I cried out in my mind for Edward or my son, but nothing but silence greeted me. I had been forsaken, but instead of despair building up inside of me, anger rose. I would be a slave to no man. I was a mother, and that was more powerful than any army. I dug through a bag and pulled out a large knife, then headed into the wind and rain to go get my children.

20 **Liberty**

What is freedom and slavery, they are concepts so closely intertwined it is hard to distinguish them. I am free, belonging to no one and left to my own devices. But my heart is enslaved by the love for my children. I will give it all up, my freedom, my conscience, my morality, in a moment of rage for my babies.

I marched back to my home, the one I helped to build, the one I gave birth in and raised my son into the happy boy he became. I threw open the door and attacked with the fury of a wild animal. Jake tried to fight me, but my first strike was to the tendon in his leg. He was unable to walk and I grabbed my daughter and ran. I took her back to the cave and tucked her between my parents where she would remain warm.

I then set out to find my son. I had to travel many days around the border to make my way into the city unnoticed. I sang songs loudly in my head to keep Billy from knowing what I was planning, if he was even bothering to look. I waited for nightfall and then entered Carlisle's house. I found my way to the nursery and saw two guards standing point. I snuck into an adjoining room and saw Edward asleep in a chair and Tanya asleep in their bed. I quietly opened the door into the nursery and saw Billy sitting on the bed waiting for me.

I motioned for him to be quiet and he shook his head lightly. "This isn't right, mother," he stated softly.

"Shut up," I told him harshly. "You are seven years old. Don't speak to me like I am simple. You are free to return when you are older, you are not my slave… you are my son."

"Don't hurt father," he pleaded and I held my hand out for his without promising anything.

We walked silently past Edward and snuck from the room. Billy never cried out or called attention to himself, he just followed along dutifully. He even warned me when we were headed into danger so I could change our path. We finally made it back to the cave.

My mother was panicked and said men had been passing constantly looking for us. I told her I was going to find a place for us all to live. I was heading deeper into the land beyond and I would return when I found us safety. I knew she was worried about my father, but I would find a way to bring him along.

I set out on my own, making sure they had plenty of supplies in the cave to last until my return. I headed in a direction I had never gone before and traveled for many days until I came upon a city of ruins. It had been abandoned and the forest had reclaimed it. We would have to plant fields but we would be spared the burden of rebuilding homes.

I searched for just the right place on the edge of the city next to land that received sunlight and water. I found a transport machine and had to practice driving it, running into trees constantly. I finally made my way back to the cave to retrieve my family. We loaded my father and then set the kids on his lap. My mother squeezed in under me and I sat on her lap to drive. We moved slowly and I could tell Billy was growing more and more agitated. We finally arrived and I showed them where we would stay. It was comfortable and filled with everything we needed.

Billy walked around and finally turned to look at me. "This is the home of the first Overlord. He ruled this city."

"Nobody rules it now," I said adamantly. "We are free here."

We worked hard together, using the machines to plant food and searching the ruins for anything we could use. I spent every evening teaching my children. I taught them their history and we grew in strength and love.

Billy never mentioned anything about his father or the fact that I cried myself to sleep many nights. He seemed content to let time pass and I tried to enjoy every moment with my children. My father got stronger and able to help out more, giving me time to rest.

I was asleep on the terrace, trying to get some air on a warm stagnant night when I heard footsteps coming up the stairway. I rolled onto my back with my eyes closed and waited for my mother to reach me. She tried often to reason with me and try to get me to return to our people. I refused to go back to where only more war was waiting.

I waited for her to sit across from me and I finally opened my eyes. I gasped loudly when I saw Edward looking back at me, not my mother. I felt the urge to run, but it was too late. I simply closed my eyes and said, "Go away."

He sat silently for several minutes and then said, "God Bella, I don't know where to start."

I reached my hand up and wiped away the tears falling from my closed eyes and remained quiet. I had no idea where the conversation was headed so I let him speak.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you," he began. "I took everything away without looking at it from your viewpoint."

I thought back to when I was so young and he brought me nothing but joy. He took me from the ground and bought me everything I wanted. No little bobble was too much; if I wanted it he provided it. Then when they began looking for me he turned me in.

"I wish you never loved me," I said through my tears.

He cleared his throat and said, "I came to tell you some bad news. Jake is dead."

I opened my eyes to look at his pained face. I understood what Billy meant now, Dawn was truly mine. I also knew he came to tell me so he could take my son back with him. I would fight to the death before I would let it happen.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"He tried to lead a rebellion and we had to squelch it," Edward said without remorse. "We are united now, the war is over."

"And you need my son to make sure you remain in charge?" I asked with a disgusted tone.

"No, I need my family. I never wanted the life of a Tender, Bella. I would have gladly gone into hiding with you, but it is all over and done now. We are free and if you want to be free here, then I will stay here, too."

I looked over the darkened ruins and felt the absence of the innocence of my life. Dawn would never know a life like that. Whatever Billy's destiny was, he deserved to be a young boy first. I couldn't leave here and listen to the talk and speculation about my children. I didn't want them to hear anything about cave people verses the provinces. We would stay here, above and beyond.

"I'm staying here," I announced.

"Okay, I'll be a farmer," he said with a smile. "I can live in the land of Bella."

I laughed at the thought of calling this ancient city the land of Bella. I was trying to survive the best I could, not forge a new society. I had to broach a difficult subject with him and worried about seeing the response I feared I would.

"Edward, Dawn is Jake's daughter."

"I know," he said softly. "He took care of my son for five years; I can take care of his daughter for as long as she needs me."

I nodded as my tears flowed freely. I remembered the kind, gentle side of Edward, the side Aro had tried so hard to make me forget. I bit on the inside of my cheek as I struggled with how to say something.

"What?" he finally asked.

I looked around and then said softly, "It's a warm night, you'll probably want to sleep out here."

He smiled and I kept from looking at him, knowing I was most likely blushing annoyingly. He waited a moment or two and then asked, "With you?"

I shrugged and continued to stare into the distant. He chuckled and leaned into my eye line and forced me to look at him. "Bella, may I sleep out here with you?"

"I hate you," I mumbled and felt my own smile grow. He laughed loudly and grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap. I held him tightly and felt the comfort his arms had always provided. Our lips connected and all rational thought left me. This was home for me, right here on his lap. This was the all the land I needed.

He laid me onto my back on the small mattress I had pulled onto the balcony. His body coupled with the warm night set my body on fire. I needed him with a passion I had buried deeply. It all came rushing out and I locked my legs around him tightly. We weren't quiet or contained. We were the only lovers in a huge empty city so we spoke our endearments loudly.

Our lives were simple. Edward worked in the fields with my father and Billy. My mother and I stored food for winter and made our clothing and blankets. Twice a year we would travel to visit Edward's family and stock up on needed provisions. Slowly others who were having a hard time adjusting joined us for a simpler existence.

My children were happy and healthy. Edward never spoke to Billy about politics, telling him his time would come eventually. We woke early every morning and worked hard all day, and then we would sit down together for dinner and spend the evening as a family. Everything in my life was perfect.

I was changing my clothes one morning and Dawn looked at me with wide eyes. "What's on your back?"

I glanced over my shoulder feeling a familiar terror growing in my soul. I ran over to a mirror and saw the words…._Will you marry me? _….written in black marker. I pulled on a shirt and shoes and ran from the large building where we lived. I ran down the semi empty streets into the fields on the edge of the forest.

Edward was working with a harvesting machine and didn't hear me running through the corn toward him. I jumped onto the slow moving machine and climbed up to where he sat. He jumped frightfully and shut off the machine.

"You scared the shit out of me," he said as he held his heart.

"Yes," I said loudly.

"You were trying to scare the shit out of me?" he asked with a hint of irritation.

"No, I didn't' mean that, I meant yes, I will marry you."

He stared at me as my words worked into his mind and then stood and whooped loudly into the air. I stood next to him and he kissed me with his sweaty body clinging to mine. His proposal was way overdue, many years overdue, but he asked and I was ecstatic.

His family traveled for the first time to the land of Bella for the wedding. They were impressed with the old architecture and all the potential the city held. Edward and I said our vows in front of a large fountain depicting the Overlord. He placed a beautiful diamond on my finger and I only saw my hand blurred by tears.

There wasn't any fear that I would not remember my husband. We were totally free and living the life we chose for ourselves. The city slowly began to fill over the years and I was so proud of Edward for remaining separate from the politics that ensued. Billy was a teenager and willingly leading the migration to our land. Dawn never followed blindly but would argue every decision with Billy, forcing him to see other viewpoints.

Edward and I had two more children, both boys and both with strong personalities. Edward Jr. loved the land and was happy working with the soil. Charles was Billy's constant shadow, learning all he could about leadership and running a government. Dawn had a special connection to Edward, the only father she ever knew. He spoiled her and loved her as only a kind man would.

We sat on our balcony looking at the sparsely lit city holding those who came to make their own path. Edward whispered in my ear, "Are you happy with your life, love?"

"Above and beyond, Edward. Above and beyond."


End file.
